


Dream a Little Dream with Me

by SociallyAwkwardFox (Maze_Runner_Fae)



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Red Robin (Comics)
Genre: Ableist Language, Ableist Side Characters, Alternate Universe, Anxiety, Blood, Business Politics, Car Accidents, Child Abuse, Child Neglect, Childhood Trauma, Depression, Drama & Romance, F/F, F/M, Fate, M/M, Mentions of Rape, Panic Attacks, Self-Defense, Shared Dreams, Shared Nightmares, Slow Burn, Threats of Rape/Non-Con, Threats of Violence, character with disability
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-29
Updated: 2017-05-31
Packaged: 2018-10-12 16:06:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 10
Words: 52,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10494534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maze_Runner_Fae/pseuds/SociallyAwkwardFox
Summary: For years, they've shared dreams and nightmares with one another. Glimpses of the other's life, but never a look at who the other person is. When the nightmares become more frequent, Jason searches for answers at Kori's insistence and does his best to continue helping the kids that come into his shop. Meanwhile, Tim struggles with getting the board to take him and his proposal seriously. Perhaps fate has a reason for drawing them together.-------------Explanation of tags included in the beginning note of the first chapter.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first JayTim multi-chapter fic and I'm excited to start posting! I have several chapters completed and plan on continuing to be several chapters ahead for the duration of this story. I'll post a chapter every Wednesday, until it's complete. I will be updating the tags with new characters and other things as I go. If you notice any tags I missed, feel free to leave a courteous comment at the end of whatever chapter it is. I hope you all enjoy!  
> Tag Explanations  
> Ableism: Several original characters in this story are ableist and use ableist language. This is extremely important to the plot. If this topic causes you any emotional pain or discomfort, please don't read this story. Your mental health is much more important than this story.  
> Rape: There is no graphic descriptions of rape in this story, but there will be the threat of someone almost being raped and mention of a character knowing/seeing people in the past that were raped. In the chapter with threat of rape, I will have a note at the beginning of the chapter stating it will occur and where.  
> Child Abuse/Neglect: There will be graphic descriptions of child abuse in one of these chapters (i.e. there will be a part describing a mother abusing her child). This is the reason for the Graphic Depictions of Violence warning. Like with the threat of rape, I will include a warning at the beginning of the chapter this occurs in and where it occurs in the chapter. Mentions of child neglect are included throughout the story.

_Screeching-the sound of metal scraping against metal-rang through his skull. It echoed shrilly around, until it suddenly stopped. One moment there, the next-nothing. His ears rang, like a low bell constantly going off. He couldn’t understand it. What had happened or what it meant seemed too complicated for him to understand. His head felt foggy and slow and there was something else more pressing. Something distracting him from figuring out the answers._

_The numbness that had taken over his body was gradually dissipating, allowing feeling to slowly return to every inch of him. Now, all he could think of was the pain. Trickling to the forefront of his mind, like a leaky faucet beginning to overflow and branch out to every corner possible. It stung and bit and gnawed ceaselessly at him. There was no start and no end, only a fierce, radiating pain from every nerve ending in his body. It threatened to consume him whole and drag him into a dark abyss he couldn’t see an end to._

_His eyes blinked heavily as he forced in another lungful of air and the spots persisted their dancing along the edges of his vision. The sight of a man slumped over a steering wheel with blood cascading down his face and a woman pitched sideways in the passenger’s seat, almost like a broken doll thrown haphazardly around, only added to his confusion. Red lights flashed through the shattered window, refracting off the broken pieces of glass and creating an eerie glow in the car. He attempted to push forward for a closer look, but his limbs wouldn’t work and the pain…_

_One move sent a fresh wave of pain and nausea and dizziness coursing through his beaten body. He could no longer see-his vision nothing more than a dark slate covering his eyes. No sound reached his ears or comforting touch caressed his skin, but he could taste. Metallic and bitter, the familiar taste of blood filled his mouth and coated his throat. His chest heaved, pushing more of the dark red liquid up his throat and out. It must have dripped, whether fast or slow-he no idea, down his chin and most certainly ruining his clothes. The blood staining everything it touch._

_It scared him. Terrified him, even. Everything was too out of control, too far away, too twisted for him to understand. Nothing could reach him now. The pain far too much for any one person to handle. No one could take this. The burning and aching and pain, pain, pain. He wanted it to stop. Needed it to stop. The darkness called to him. Extended a hand. Like an old friend, the dark bid him forward._

_And embraced him._

* * *

 

Sweat drenched his t-shirt causing it to cling uncomfortably to his heated skin and stick to his crumpled bedsheets. As the last of the adrenaline pumping through his body left, he shucked off the offending article of clothing. His crappy ceiling fan began to cool the dampness covering him and sent a chill rolling down his spine. Without having to glance at his alarm clock, he knew it would be much too early for any reasonable person to be awake.

It wasn’t the first time he had that particular nightmare. In all actuality, it was much too common an occurrence for him to even know the exact number of times he’d seen the scene play out. After the first few times, it hadn’t been difficult to figure out what happened during the confusion of sound and flashing lights and pain. Though he had never experienced one himself, he knew it had to be a car crash and the same one every time with the same man and woman and person. A person he never saw the face of.

But knowing didn’t help. It led to more question than answers in the long run and left his head reeling when he thought about it for too long. Sharing dreams was uncommon. There were only a few documented cases and nothing he read shed any light on the situation. No cause, no reason, no trends or correlation, no useful information, no way of tracking them down. He had looked into car crashes that were similar to his dream and found thousands upon thousands that fit. Crashes with families and friends and strangers. Millions of stories.

With a pained grunt, Jason pushed himself out of bed and ambled over to the bathroom for a hot shower. Though nothing he read said anything about shared dreams causing side effects, he always woke up feeling unusually stiff and achy. One day, it was so bad he walked around with a slight limp for several hours, before the tightness in his thigh finally went away. Today it seemed his chest would be giving him a difficult time. The muscles felt tense and his ribs seemed more cage-like than normal.

The spray of hot water against his chest did little to alleviate the tightness, but he knew better than to expect immediate results. Like Kori taught him, Jason took deep breaths that slowly expanded his lungs and forced the muscles and bones of his chest to give leeway. Gradually, the stiffness left his body and he could breathe freely-without any tugging or squeezing sending stabs of pain through him. He let out a sigh of relief, then braced his body against his arms on the wall of his small standing shower.

Warm water slipped pleasantly along his body and down the drain, taking the last dregs of the nightmare with them. All the stress and anxiety washed away, leaving a hollow pit in the middle of his chest. Sometimes, he considered whether that sensation could possibly be the part of him this other person fit into. It was a rather romantic idea, something Roy attributed to reading one too many classic novels, but oddly enough, it made him feel a little less lonely. Maybe it was the idea of the day they would finally meet being closer or knowing someone else out there saw the same things he did every night. Either way, it made him feel better about the aches and pains and nightmares he got almost nightly.

Not wanting to stick around for the water to cool down, he quickly turned the faucet off and wrapped the first towel he could get his hands on around his waist. After wiping down the fog on the mirror with his hand, he took a close look at his eyes for signs of weariness his friends would find concerning. Dark bags haunted the underside of his eyes, causing his face to look more sallow and sunken than normal. Three nights in a row of waking up well before dawn were beginning to take their toll and it showed plainly on his face.

Knowing there was nothing he could do to mask his exhaustion or hope of getting back to sleep, he threw on some clothing without holes in them and headed for the kitchen. A cup of coffee later, he felt awake enough to get some work done before Kori and Roy opened up their shop for the day. With nothing better to do, he grabbed the stack of paperwork he’d been pouring over last night, then headed down to his store.

The familiar sight of shelves upon shelves of books and the smell of crisp paper were more calming than any relaxation technique or a warm cup of tea. Growing up, the only thing he’d ever associated with safety were the books he could get lost in for hours on end. It shouldn’t have surprised anyone he ended up surrounding himself with book as he got older-not that there was anyone around to be surprised. No one in Gotham cared about a street rat that got bounced from one foster family to the next-there were plenty of those-and turning eighteen just meant they no longer had to be responsible for him.

Deciding to own a bookstore had been the easiest decision he ever made and worth every little piece of himself he put into creating the place. There’d been long nights and tight budgets and days he questioned whether he could really make his dream a reality. Most of that time, he had struggled through it alone, then he secured his current location and met the two people he eventually called his friends. Kori and Roy lent an ear when he needed it, helped him when he felt buried under the weight of it all, and were always there for him when he needed it. They became the family he had never had before.

The sound of a firm knock rattling the glass on his shop door distracted him from the files he’d been organizing to keep his hands busy. Kori’s bright red hair shone in the glow of the rising sun-a fiery beacon for anyone awake at the crack of dawn. When she noticed Jason’s attention on her, she held up two cups of coffee in familiar bright green cups and raised an expectant eyebrow. The moment he opened the door for her, she thrust one of the cups into his hands, then took up her normal spot in the comfiest chair.

“Nightmare?”

“Yes.”

“They’re getting more frequent.” The dull tap of her long fingernails against the side of her cup made the liquid inside slosh around. “How much sleep are you getting?”

“Enough.”

“You still think you can bullshit me?”

Letting out a heavy sigh, Jason dropped into one of the chairs across from Kori. “Fine. I’ve been getting a few hours the past couple of nights. I’ve had less.”

“You need more sleep.”

“I’ve got coffee.”

“Until we cut you off.”

“I pay for coffee.” Jason glanced down at the cup in his hand. “Most of the time.”

“I’d rather you get sleep than take your money for coffee. We’re both worried. You’ve been getting less sleep the past couple of months and you look exhausted all the time. I know it’s not common, but there must be someone you can talk to about this. People study everything now.”

“Maybe, but I don’t want some stranger studying my private life for science or curiosity or whatever. I already have enough people poking their noses into my business.”

Kori let out a soft snort and rolled her eyes at him. “You’d be lost without us.”

“You maybe, but Roy? I think it’s the other way around.”

“Roy can handle himself. When he’s not lost in those crazy ideas he gets.”

“So, never?”

“I guess the two of you would be lost without me.”

“Sure.”

“Glad you agree with me.” After a quick check of her watch, Kori stood up and gave Jason a firm look. “Just think about it. It’d be a shame if you lost everything you worked so hard for because you were too stubborn to ask for help and don’t forget how upset the kids would be.”

“Are you trying to guilt me into looking for some supposed expert on dream sharing?”

“I do what I have to.”

* * *

 

His body shook, not with tremors, but by the force of another person. Their hands gripped his arm tightly and forcibly pulled him out of the nightmare trying to consume him. Familiar emerald green eyes met his with obvious concern showing in their depths. A gentle hand guided him into a sitting position, then she sat back and patiently waited for him to really wake up. She returned the small smile he gave her with one of her own, visibly relaxing as she did so.

“What time is it?”

“Five. You were thrashing around in your sleep again.”

“Sorry.”

Stephanie rolled her eyes in exasperation and crossed her arms over her chest. “How many times do I have to tell you there’s no need to apologize? It’s not like you can control it.”

“Doesn’t mean I don’t feel bad for waking you up. We shouldn’t both be up all night because of me.”

“That’s what friends are for. Who else would put up with how ridiculous you are? No one should drink that much coffee. I’m pretty sure you don’t even have blood anymore. It’s just coffee.”

“Coffee sounds nice.”

“You’re an addict.”

“I blame the nightmares.” When Tim moved to stand, his leg gave a painful twinge and spasmed for a second. “It’s one of those days. Would you mind grabbing my muscle relaxant? It should be in the bathroom cabinet.”

Without bothering to answer him, Stephanie made her way to the bathroom, talking to him over her shoulder as she did so. “We should do your stretches. You’ll be miserable all day if you don’t.”

“After coffee.”

“Or we could do that instead of the coffee. A little stretching, then head down to the gym for some cardio and weight training. Get your blood pumping.”

“I’ll stick to my morning coffee and nightly workouts.”

“You say morning coffee like you only have one cup. Did you really think I didn’t know you have more than the one cup you have here?”

“You act like you knowing will stop me.” After giving Stephanie a grateful smile, he quickly swallowed the two pills. “You should go back to bed. I can take it from here. Don’t you have a test today?”

“Can’t. I’m awake now.”

“Your test.”

“Your board meeting.”

“Don’t remind me.”

A little grin appeared on Stephanie’s face as she carefully helped Tim to stand without putting too much strain on his still spasming leg. “Someone has to. We can go to the movies tonight. One of those fancy theaters that serve alcohol. My treat.”

“You don’t need to do that.”

“Like I’m going to let those assholes get you down. What’s a better distraction from whatever moronic thing they’ll say to you than a cheesy action film and copious amounts of alcohol?

“I can handle whatever they say to me.”

“It still gets to you and I’m not going to let it. It’s a Friday night. You’re going to enjoy it by hanging out with your best friend and having a good time. Got it?”

“Yes, ma’am!” Tim dodged the punched Stephanie aimed at his arm, then limped over to the coffee maker. “Want a cup?”

“No. Hurry up. I’ll get the bands out and set up the mats.”

“Be there in a minute.”

“You better. I won’t hesitate to track you down.”

“Believe me, I know.”

* * *

 

“Jay! Jay!” Several of the other patrons in the shop turned to look at the young girl sprinting toward the checkout counter. “Look! I did it! I did it!”

“Let me see.”

Jason leaned over the counter to take the crumpled piece of paper the little girl was waving around in the air. In bright red at the very top of the page was a large hundred with two dots in the zeros and a line curved up under them, like a smile. A little note underneath it mentioned how proud the teacher was of her improvement from her last test.

“Good job, sunshine! Mind if I put this up on the wall?”

Anya clapped her hands as she jumped up and down excitedly, causing her auburn hair to bounce wildly around her head. “Can I do it? Please, please, please, please?”

“Well, I’ll have to lift you up. You’re too short to reach on your own.”

“Yes!”

With a little chuckle, Jason came out from behind the counter and knelt down low enough for the little girl to scramble onto his shoulders. Her hands weaved their way into his hair and held on tightly as he stood up to his full height without any warning. A shrill giggling filled the shop-bouncing off the walls and ceiling and ricocheting off everything it touched. The laughter didn’t stop until he came to a halt in front of the wall covered in drawings and graded papers and certificates of various achievements.

“Where do you think it should go?”

A little hum left Anya’s mouth, then she pointed at a free spot next to a drawing of a bright blue cat. “There!”

“That looks like an excellent spot. Make sure you push the pin all the way through or it’ll fall off. It looks great. You picked a perfect spot!”

“Can I go read now?”

“Of course, but make sure you do your homework.”

“Yes, sir!”

Jason rolled his eyes at the little salute she gave him before she rushed off to the kid’s fantasy section with her hair swinging wildly behind her. Several of the kids greeted her with bright smiles and excited waves, that Anya returned so vigorously she nearly stumbled over her own feet. Before she got pulled into a conversation with the other kids, she looked back at Jason and gave him two thumbs up and a dazzling smile.

“Your daughter is adorable.”

It wasn’t the first time someone mistook one of the kids off the street as his child, but it still surprised him every time it happened. “She’s not mine.”

“Oh, really? You’re very good with her.”

“Thanks. Is there anything I can help you with?”

“There is.” The woman pulled a piece of paper out of her purse and held it out for Jason to take. “I’ve been looking for this book for ages. I’d buy it online, but my friend’s a nerd that likes his books with character. Someone recommended this place. Think you can help?”

“It’ll be a little pricey, but I might have just what you’re looking for. First edition with a little wear, but it’s in decent condition.”

“Sounds like something he’d like. Can I take a look at it?”

“Sure. Follow me.” The woman trailed closely behind him as he weaved his way through the different displays, then stopped in front of the checkout counter. “I keep them back here to avoid them getting further damage. People can be a little… reckless with books. Here’s the one you’re looking for.”

“He’ll love it. Do you know anything about this little note in here? That’ll probably be the first thing he asks me about.”

“Sorry. Can’t help with that. You’ll just have to tell him it’s a mystery.”

“It’s better than nothing. I’ll take it.”

“Great. Want me to wrap it for you?”

“No, thanks. Would you mind holding onto it for me? Tim has this habit of always finding the gifts I get him.”

With a nod, Jason pulled out a sticky note and a pen from one of the drawers. “Sure. What’s your name?”

“Stephanie Brown. I’ll pick it up on the nineteenth.”

“Positive you don’t want me to wrap it?”

“I’m positive.” Stephanie handed over her card with a flick of her wrist, then tapped her fingernails on the counter as she waited for Jason to swipe it. “How’s the coffee shop next door?”

“Fantastic, but I’m a little biased since I’m friends with the two that own the place.”

“Do they have toffee cookies?”

“That’s an oddly specific question.”

“They’re good.”

“True. I’m not sure if they have toffee cookies. Kori switches up what they make all the time. Last week, she made some amazing toffee and dark chocolate muffins. I had six.”

A pleased sound left Stephanie’s mouth as she took her card back and she glanced behind Jason, like she would be able to see what they had through the wall. “That sounds amazing. I’ll have to drop by. Maybe I’ll be nice and pick up a coffee to fuel my best friend’s addiction.”

“Just make sure to tell Kori or Roy I sent you over there. I might get a treat if you do.”

“I’ll make sure to let them know. It was nice meet you…”

“Jason.”

“It was nice meeting you, Jason. I’ll see you on the nineteenth.”

* * *

 

While the stiffness in his leg hadn’t gone away, Tim knew better than to adjust his position or stand to stretch his leg out. The board didn’t need a reason to bring up how weak they thought he was because of his leg and chest, they always did, but he didn’t want to give them anything to use as proof. Well, proof in their eyes. They already found a reason to complain about his lack of experience and he knew they would explode when they finally reached his proposal. The proposal was the reason he’d been dreading this meeting all week, but that wasn’t going to stop him from making sure they heard it.

As Bensen wrapped up the last of his speech on profits, Tim took a chance to check his notes were in order one last time. Even with his head slightly bent, he could see several of the men sitting at the table staring menacingly at him. Just like always, Tim pretended not to notice their eyes on him and immediately focused on Bensen when he looked up again.

“That brings us to the last item on the docket.” The pure disdain in Eugene’s voice was thick enough to peel paint off the walls. “Mr. Drake wishes to present some idea of his.”

Instead of rising to the bait, Tim stood from his chair and cleared his throat. “In front of you all is a proposal I drew up with the help of Bruce Wayne and Lucius Fox.”

“You went to our competitors for help with a proposal.”

“If you take a closer look at the proposal, you’ll see an outline for our anticipated steps to merge our two companies together.” Eight angry voices filled the room, but Tim went on as if he didn’t hear a single sound. “We believe these steps will be the best route for us to take, even though it won’t be the quickest. Mr. Wayne and I believe this merger will be a great opportunity for our companies to flourish and help make the world a better place. It’ll allow us to complete several projects we already have in the works easier and the opportunity for more ideas to be fostered between both our companies best and brightest. A more open connection between our two companies could lead to numerous advances in both the science and medical field, along with changes to how business is done in large corporations. Not to mention, merging with Wayne Enterprises will allow us to offer our employees the same benefits as those working at WE.”

William cleared his throat obnoxiously, then spoke in his usual squeaky voice. “That’ll be enough. I think I speak for everyone when I say we’ve heard plenty. This outlandish proposal-”

“Will be discussed in further detail at our next meeting. I’ve taken the liberty of inviting Mr. Wayne and Mr. Fox to join us. They were kind enough to make time in their busy schedules to attend. We’ll have a more thorough proposal completed by then, along with a presentation detailing some of the projects we already have in mind.”

“You’re serious about this ridiculous idea.”

“Yes. Our companies would do well together and Mr. Wayne has been looking for someone to help with some of the large projects he hasn’t been able to do.”

“And he thinks someone so inexperienced will be able to help him? I find that hard to believe.”

“He valued my input during the meeting we had last week and two weeks before that. Several of my ideas have already been incorporated into our plans.”

“And why-” Lewis sneered scornfully at Tim before he continued. “would Bruce Wayne want to do business with such a weakling. He probably just wants the chance to take over our company and is jumping at such an easy opportunity. You’re handing it to him on a silver platter.”

“Mr. Wayne and I will have equal control once the merger goes through.”

“Sure, until his lawyers finds the loopholes that allows him complete control. You’ll be out of a job before you know it and don’t forget we have to approve of this nonsense in the first place.”

“Our presentation next month will give you all the information you will need to make your decision.”

A bitter chuckle drew Tim’s attention away from Lewis and to the heavily bearded man sitting at his side. “It’ll take more than a simple presentation to convince me. This is the company your parents spent years pouring all their time into. I’d hate to think what they would have to say about this merger. Your father would have never come to us with something like this and expected us to take it seriously.”

“Might I remind you, I am not my father and will never be my father. Therefore, I will run this company the way I best see fit and not the way my father did. This proposal has more pros than cons and not doing it just because it might not be something my father would have done, would be a waste of a perfectly legitimate and advantageous opportunity. We should focus on doing the best for this company, its employees, and our society. I believe this proposal is just that.”

“You’ve made that very clear.”

“Excellent. If that’s all, I think we’re finished here.”

* * *

 

As Jason reached to turn the sign on his shop door to closed, Kori and Roy appeared with a large bag stamped with the logo of Jason’s favorite burger joint. With a roll of his eyes, Jason opened the door for them before locking it up and turning the sign around. All three of them settled into chairs, then Roy passed-or more accurately tossed-the food around. For a few minutes, they ate in comfortable silence, then Kori set her burger down on the wrapping and looked at Jason.

“Did you find anyone to talk to?”

“I’ve been working.”

Kori gave him a stern look before she spoke again. “It’s a Friday. Most of the kids that come here were at summer school and a majority of adults were at work. You had plenty of free time today.”

“I could have been busy today.”

“Did you find someone or not?”

“Maybe.” After shoving the last of his burger into his mouth, Jason pulled out his phone and brought up the page he found earlier. “Her name’s Barbara Gordon. Apparently, she’s considered some sort of expert on the sharing dreams thing and has hundreds of papers written on the subject. She’s a professor at Gotham State University and she’s the only person I found that didn’t seem like a complete moron.”

“When are you meeting her?”

“She agreed to stop by Thursday night after close and talk over dinner.”

Roy chuckled through his mouthful of food, earning him two looks of disgust. “What time is your date?”

“It’s not a date, idiot.”

“You’re taking her out to dinner.”

“In exchange for her help. It’s not a date.”

“Think she’ll actually be able to help you out? You’ve never even seen their face. Maybe you should post something online. Looking for someone else having horrifically brutal nightmares every night.”

“Funny.” With a shake of his head, Jason let out an exhausted sigh. “I don’t know. She might know something about what the increased number of nightmares means, but I doubt she’ll be able to help with much else. She’s a historian, not a detective.”

“What if she’s the one you’re sharing nightmares with and that’s why she decided to study it?”

“I think she would have mentioned that at some point.”

“Maybe she’s waiting to do it in person.”

“Whatever.”

Knowing Jason was getting frustrated, Kori grabbed the trash from their dinner and pulled Roy up from his chair. “We’re just happy to hear you found someone that might be able to help. Make sure you tell us how it goes afterwards and get some rest tonight. You need it.”

“I know. Good night.”

Both of them bid Jason good night, then disappeared out the back of the shop so they could take the stairs on the outside of their building to their apartment. Now left with nothing except his thoughts, Jason took a few minutes to just relax in the silence of his closed shop. He considered getting up to pluck a familiar title off one of his shelves, but he didn’t feel up to reading. His eyes were stinging from lack of sleep and his brain felt too drained to focus on the words on a page.

After a few more minutes of doing nothing, Jason forced himself to stand and finish cleaning up the rest of the shop for tomorrow. He swept the floors, cleaned up the area the kids spent most of their time, and placed all the books people left lying around back on their correct shelves. They were all monotonous tasks that let him move around the shop like every ounce of the tired zombie he felt. His feet dragged across the wood floors and he nearly dropped the broom a few times, but the job got done.

As he went about his last task of dusting off all the shelves, he let his fingers skim over the hundreds upon hundreds of familiar titles. Whether paper or leather or something else entirely, the material made him feel at home and calmer than he had all day. Books always brought him a peace that people and animals never seemed capable of giving him-no matter how hard they tried.

It wasn’t until he reached the romance section, he actually paused to consider one of the titles his fingers landed on. He had read the book more times than he bothered to remember, looking for something useful in the many pages. While he knew it was a work of fiction, it was one of the few books that focused on shared dreams and he felt drawn to it. There was also something about the two main characters that always drew Jason in and got him lost in the world.

He grabbed the book off the shelf before he could overthink his decision, then made quick work of the rest of the shelves. After putting the duster back in the cabinet, he headed upstairs with the book tucked safely under his arm. Even though he had no intention of reading it, Jason kept it held in his hands as he reclined onto his bed and stared up at the ceiling. The blades of his ceiling fan spun rhythmically around, slowly sending him off into a deep, dreamless sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! The next chapter will be up Wednesday of next week. All kudos and comments are greatly appreciated. You can find me on Tumblr ([SociallyAwkwardFoxWriter](http://sociallyawkwardfoxwriter.tumblr.com/)) and ask questions, stay up-to-date on what I'm working on, or anything else Tumblr related. Until next week!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *WARNING: Threat of rape occurs in the first italic section (the first nightmare section)!*

“You can go farther than that.”

“I didn’t ask for your opinion.” The muscles in Tim’s thigh twitched as he leaned the tiniest bit closer to his foot. “Don’t you have something else you could be doing? Cass has the night off, right? Why don’t the two of you do something?”

“You’re right. I could invite her over. I’m sure she’d love to join us.”

“I need better friends.”

“Like you could find better friends than us.”

“What about Kon and Bart? They’re nice to me.”

Stephanie rolled her eyes at him. “Then why don’t you go live in San Fran with them?”

“I wish. Maybe after this merger goes through and we’ve settled everything down. It’s about time I take a vacation. That’s still a thing people do, right?”

“Pretty sure they do. You better take me with you. Spending all day on a California beach sounds fantastic. I could get a nice tan.”

“Or turn into a giant lobster.”

“Funny. Can you even go out in the sun without burning to a crisp?”

“As long as I have a million SPF sunscreen, I’m fine.”

“Is that something your R&D department had to make special for you?” To Tim’s frustration, Stephanie easily dodged out of the way of the pillow he threw directly at her head and stuck her tongue out at him. “A trip would be good for you. Nothing to stress over and make you tense. We could even find you a cute boyfriend while we’re at it.”

“Yeah, right.”

“What? You’re a catch! CEO of a successful company with such a wonderful personality to go along with all that money. Who wouldn’t be interested in you?”

“Not to poke holes in your point, but I don’t exactly have admirers lining up to date me because they’re actually interested in me. They just like the money and the fact my last name is Drake. Not to mention all the scars on my chest and leg that freak people out.”

“Don’t start listening to what those morons say to you now.”

While trying to fight back a smile, Tim looked Stephanie directly in the eyes as he spoke. “I don’t believe them. I know these aren’t signs of weakness, but that’s not how other people see them. The board aren’t the only ones who think I’m weak because of my limp and my chest problems. People think less of me because of it. I’ve seen people interested in me before, then they see the limp and put that together with who I am and it changes the way they look at me. It’s like, they stop seeing all of who I am and focus on the parts of me they can’t look past.”

“Those people are assholes. We’ll find you some nice guy that’ll spend all weekend reading and playing video games with you. Of course, he’ll also have to be willing to listen to you bitch about your job and get used to you working all the time.”

“If you don’t want to listen to me talk about my work, you could always move out. I’ve heard the dorms at Gotham University are… decent.”

“Don’t even joke about that. I’ve heard there are cockroaches the size of large rats and the food sometimes becomes sentient and crawls off.”

“Like you believe any of that.”

“Doesn’t mean I won’t use it as an excuse to stay in this lovely apartment.” A sharp grin appeared on Stephanie’s face, causing Tim to roll his eyes before she continued speaking. “You did such a nice job with this place. It’s so homey! Why would I ever want to leave?”

“I’m sure you’ll want to eventually. What if you find _the one_? Will the two of you really want to stay in my guest room?”

“It’s a nice guest room. I think the real question is whether you’ll kick me out when you finally find some handsome guy to do your bidding.”

“Why the sudden interest in my love life? Don’t you have classes to worry about or other friends you could bother or… anything else?”

“I’ve been thinking about your nightmares, so I did some research.”

Knowing Stephanie wouldn’t drop it, Tim shifted into a more comfortable position and crossed his arms over his chest. “I told you not to worry about it. I’ve been dealing with this my entire life.”

“Exactly! You’ve been sharing nightmares with some person you’ve never met your entire life and, all of a sudden, they’re happening more frequently. Don’t you think that’s some sort of sign you’re going to meet soon?”

“It could be. What does that have to do with my love life?”

“Well, the two of you have a pretty strong connection. Maybe, it’s more than just nightmares that connect you.”

“You think we’re what? Soulmates?”

“I don’t know, but there has to be some reason for life putting you through all this crap. Aren’t the books you read full of stuff like this? The main character suffers through their fate, but it’s all worth it at the end because it led them to some positive thing. Maybe this person is that for you.”

“Maybe.” Tim sighed heavily and tried not to let his emotions show on his face. “There’s no point in wasting my time thinking about it. The only way I’ll get any answers is by finding whoever it is and I’ve never even seen their face. I could have already met them and I wouldn’t know. It’s not like I can ask every new person I meet whether they have the same set of terrifying nightmares all the time.”

“That would be a little strange. Think they’re looking for you?”

“No idea. Sometimes, I think it’d be better if they aren’t.”

“Why? Do you not want to meet them?”

“I do. At least, I think I do. I just don’t want them to be spending all their time looking for me, when they should be living the life they have now. Maybe we’ll meet someday and maybe we won’t, but putting what we do have on hold in search of someone we don’t actually know isn’t the way to do it.”

Stephanie gave a little hum as she moved to sit next to Tim, then leaned lightly against his side. “What if they’re looking for you because whatever life they’re living now isn’t much of a life at all? What if looking for you, gives them hope? From what you’ve told me of their nightmares, they haven’t had the easiest life.”

“It must have gotten better. There haven’t been any new nightmares for years.”

“But how can you know for sure? You don’t know how this thing between the two of you works. Their life might not have changed.”

“It did. It must have. I hope.”

* * *

 

_Cold winter air easily ripped through the thin layer of fabric making up the jacket he held closed with shivering hands. He curled up a little tighter behind the dumpster he’d been using to block a majority of the wind since he got kicked out of the bar. No matter how much he hunkered down, the wind still found ways to sneak around the dumpster and eat away at him. Not for the first time that night, he wished the abandoned building he’d been calling home hadn’t been torn down._

_When white flakes began to fall from the sky, Jason considered leaving behind his relatively sheltered spot for something with a roof. Before he could make up his mind, the sound of a shrill scream echoing through the empty streets reached him. On instinct, he jolted to his feet and ran toward the direction he thought the scream came from. Another scream pierced the air as he sprinted past a dimly lit side street._

_His head whipped around just in time to see a man dressed all in black roughly shove a woman to the ground. She scrambled frantically away from the man towering over her, reaching desperately for a purse the man must have thrown after taking it from her. As her fingers brushed over the strap, a hand grabbed hold of her hair and used that grip to pull her away from the purse. Her nails clawed at the man’s hand and wrist, desperately attempting to make them release her._

_The man forced her head against the ground, while the other began to mess with the buckle on his belt. With no idea what else to do, Jason ran straight at the man and crashed into him. The combination of his body weight and the speed he’d been going was enough to knock the man off the woman. He threw a sloppy punch aimed at the man’s head, but it went wide and his fist slammed into the ground instead. Pain blossomed over his knuckles and his arm felt like it was vibrating because of the sudden impact._

_While he was distracted by the pain, the man took his chance to flip their positions. Yellow teeth bared intimidatingly at him, then two hands clamped down tightly on his shoulders. They lifted his upper body off the ground and slammed him back down, so his head cracked against the concrete. His vision flooded with tears and black dots popped up, obscuring his view of the man above him. He threw a wild punch in the general direction the man had been and hoped for the best. Something brushed against his broken skin, but it wasn’t enough contact to do anything more than annoy the man._

_He expected the man to do the same thing to him again or throw a punch of his own, until a clicking noise filled the alley. Even with his head spinning, he could recognize the sound of a gun cocking and high heels hitting the ground. A female voice said something he couldn’t understand, then the man above him growled out a response. The man started to move off, only to suddenly stop after a gun shot rang through the air._

_Warm liquid dripped onto his chest, soaking through his jacket and shirt. The heat wasn’t comforting or inviting like it would have been earlier in the night. It stuck to him and formed a small puddle on the middle of his chest. It sank down into his bones and spread through his body like a disease trying to takeover. He wished he could get it off, but it was already imbedded deep within him now._

_Weight dropped heavily onto him and forced all the air out of his lungs. Panic filled him as his spinning head made it impossible for him to shove the weight off him. His hands twitched at his sides, but he couldn’t coordinate them enough to lift them off the ground. A sharp stab of pain sapped the last of his energy from him and his entire world went black._

* * *

 

The sight of his ceiling above him, the smell of lavender drifting through the air, and the feel of his soft blankets around him brought him comfort after the nightmare. Slowly, his mind came back to the present, reminding him there was nothing to fear in the safety of his bedroom. He pulled his comforter tighter around him to fight back the shivering and shaking of his body. Even though the nightmare ended, he could still feel the freezing winter air permeating every inch of him.

Tim curled up on his side facing the window, so he could look at the moonlight slipping in through the cracked curtains. It wasn’t enough light to illuminate the whole room, but it gave him something to focus on that didn’t have anything to do with the images floating around inside his head. The nightmare wasn’t a new one. In fact, he could still remember the first time he woke up after that particular nightmare. It was the first nightmare he ever got from whoever he shares dreams with and he stayed up the rest of the night crying into his pillow afterwards.

On nights like these, he liked to imagine the mystery person had someone to comfort them the way he had Stephanie. Before Stephanie came barging into his life, the nightmares were nearly too unbearable to deal with on his own. His aunt didn’t care enough about him to listen to him talk about them and he didn’t have any real friends before Stephanie. For a long time, he simply bottled everything up and it began to eat away at him from the inside. After all the things he’d seen through the other’s eyes, he didn’t want to think about them suffering through both their nightmares alone the way Tim had when he was younger.

With no hope of drifting back to sleep, Tim pushed himself up enough to lean against his headboard and flicked on his bedside lamp. He dug through his top drawer for one of the books he always kept there for nights like this one. The familiar cover of one of his favorite novels greeted him and he flipped to a random page in the middle. He got lost in the pages and the characters and the story, until all thoughts of the nightmare were driven out of his mind.

* * *

 

The sheet of paper sat mockingly on the counter with the few words he managed to write down reminding him of his troubles. None of the questions he knew he had wanted to take shape as actual questions he could put on paper. He put off doing this all week and now it was coming back to bite him in the ass. There were only a few more hours before the time Barbara agreed to meet him at the shop and he wasn’t at all prepared.

Letting out a frustrated huff, Jason looked up from the paper and inspected the few patrons milling around the shop. A middle-aged woman had her nose shoved deep in a book Jason suspected to be an erotica novel going by the way her hands were strategically placed on the cover. He let out a little snort at the woman’s behavior, then turned his attention to a girl that looked to be in her late teens. She had a book in both hands and seemed to be struggling to compare the two titles. An obvious crinkle between her eyebrows and the way she chewed on her bottom lip was enough to have Jason moving out from behind the counter.

The girl’s eyes flicked up to meet him as he came to a stop next to her and her shoulders hunched in a little. Jason gave her a comforting smile, then motioned at the two books clutched tightly in her trembling fingers. Without a word, she handed them both out to Jason and immediately crossed her arms over her chest. He ignored the way her eyes kept flicking toward the shop door and focused on looking at the two books.

“I’m guessing these aren’t for a school project.” The girl’s head dipped down, but she still shook her head in the negative. “Do your parents know?”

“No.”

“Have you been to a clinic or something?”

“Yes.”

Jason placed both the books back on their respective shelves and pulled out a book he knew would be better for her. “Take this one. I get more requests and see more women buying this one than those two. Does anyone know about this?”

“My best friend.”

“Not the guy?”

“No. No, I… I don’t…” Tears glistened in the girl’s eyes and her hands began to twist at the hem of her shirt. “He’s not…”

“Calm down. You don’t have to talk about it. Why don’t you go have a seat in one of those chairs and start reading this, while I go get you some tea? How does that sound?”

“O-okay.”

“Good. What kind of tea do you like? Green, black, lavender, citrus?”

“Citrus.”

“Citrus, it is. Don’t forget to breath, kid.”

The girl nodded her head as she accepted the book from Jason’s hands, then a little smile appeared on her face. “Thank you, mister. You’re really nice. I heard this place is… safe.”

“You’re welcome. I do what I can to help.”

“Can I come back tomorrow?”

“As long as the sign says open, you’re welcome inside.”

Jason gave the girl another reassuring smile and waited for her to start reading before he headed to the backroom. He poured more water into the small container from the machine he used to make tea, then started the machine. He busied his hands with finding a clean cup and the citrus tea he had somewhere, to keep his mind off the girl. He didn’t want to think about why the girl got so broken up when he asked about the guy that got her pregnant. It could be as simple as a falling out-either before or because of the baby-or it could be something else entirely. The thought brought the nightmare he had last night back to the front of his mind and made his hands clench involuntarily.

The sound of water filling the mug pulled him out of the trance he fell into and back to the present. He quickly placed the tea bag in the mug and made his way back to the girl now curled up on the seat he left her in. She looked up when he approached her and accepted the mug from him with hands that were no longer shaking. In fact, everything about her seemed more relaxed and calm than it had earlier. Her shoulders were lazily slumped, her eyes no longer guarded, and her smile a little brighter.

“Thanks again.”

“It’s really no problem, kid. You getting what you need out of that book?”

“I think so.”

“Need anything to take notes with?”

The girl looked up at him in shock and gripped the mug a little tighter. “Wouldn’t I need to buy it first?”

“Would I offer if you needed to buy it first?”

“I guess not.”

“You guessed right. So, do you need anything to take notes?”

“No, I have a notebook.”

“All right. Take your time. I’ll be at the register if you need anything.”

Jason went back to his spot behind the counter and looked down at the sheet of paper still sitting there. He picked up his pen one more time, then glanced up at the girl to find her scribbling away in her notebook. With more determination than he had earlier, Jason searched for the right way to phrase the questions bouncing around in his head. In what felt like no time at all, his questions were neatly written out.

* * *

 

The couch dipped with a groan under Tim’s weight as he stretched across the comfortable surface and rested his head on one of the many pillows. He pulled the blanket off the back of the couch and snuggled down further into the plush cushions after he wrapped it tightly around his body. Whatever Stephanie was watching before she left provided the perfect background noise for the afternoon nap Tim planned on taking. It’d been a long day full of paperwork and judgemental messages from a couple of board members, not to mention the early wakeup call.

Just as the tendrils of sleep began to pull him into their loving embrace, the obnoxious ringtone his pseudo older brother set for himself went off. For a split second, Tim considered letting the call go to voicemail, but he knew that would only make things worse in the long run. Dick would probably come knock down his door without even bothering to call him again if he didn’t answer. It wouldn’t be the first time Dick did something ridiculous in the name of being the older brother Tim never had-a role he took extremely seriously.

“What is it Dick?”

“What? I’m not allowed to call you, baby bird.”

Tim rolled his eyes at the ceiling and shoved his phone between his ear and shoulder, so he could snuggle back under the blanket. “It’s been a long day. Is there something you need or can I go back to my nap?”

“A nap? It’s barely six! You can’t take a nap. I’m going to stop by your apartment and we’ll go out to dinner together. It’ll be fun.”

“Did Steph put you up to this?”

“I just wanted to spend time with my little brother.”

“Then call Damian.”

“But I want to spend time with you! Come on. Just a few hours. I’ll pay.”

“Dick, I’m really not in the mood. Can’t we do something another time? I didn’t sleep well last night and it’s been a long day.”

“Nightmares?” The familiar tone of worry laced through Dick’s voice. “Babs is meeting some guy tonight to talk about something similar happening to him.”

“Really? I didn’t think it was that common.”

“It’s not. Babs always gets frustrated by the lack of material she has to go off of, but she says all historians complain about that so it’s not that big a deal in the grand scheme of things. She was ecstatic when this guy got in contact with her looking for information on what’s happening to him. I’m sure she’d talk to you if you wanted.”

“Maybe someday, but…”

“I get it. Babs gets it, too. She said she’d be ready when you were.”

Despite the fact Dick wouldn’t be able to see him, Tim nodded his head as much as he could with his phone where it was. “So, is that why you really wanted to go out? Your fiancé goes out for the night and you want me to keep you company.”

“That and I really did want to see you. You’ve been so busy working with Bruce on whatever scheme the two of you have come up with, that we haven’t spent any time together recently. Is it so unbelievable I want to spend a few hours together?”

“It has been a long time and a few hours wouldn’t be that bad.”

“That’s the spirit!”

“How long until you get here?”

“Twenty minutes max.” A lock sliding shut in the background told Tim the other man was already out the door. “We should go to that old pizzeria I used to take you to after school. The one with the amazing garlic crust.”

“I know the one. If I’m not out of the shower by the time you get here, just let yourself up.”

“Got it!”

“And Dick?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m glad you called about dinner.”

“Me too.”

* * *

 

All the words on the page blended together into one giant black blob he couldn’t make any sense of-no matter how hard he tried. Everything he had learned tonight was spinning around in his head, bouncing around like an unstoppable ball. The woman across the table from him didn’t look irritated at his complete lack of ability to hold a conversation. She sipped from her glass of water and finished up the last of her meal while she patiently waited for Jason to get his thoughts together.

After clearing his throat, Jason set the stack of papers to the side. “This is all you have?”

“Everything that might be helpful. Most of the information I have deals with conversation between people after they’ve found each other.”

“What about people that don’t?”

“In all my years researching this topic, I’ve never found a single instance of the two people not meeting each other. A lot of scholars think the connection draws the two individuals together, that’s why they always meet.”

“Like destiny or fate or something?”

“Exactly. Have you ever heard of the Red String of Fate?”

“No.”

Barbara placed her laced hands on the table, then leaned forward. “It’s an old Japanese legend. The legend goes that people meant to have meaningful lives together are connected by a red string tied around their pinkies. It’s an unbreakable bond and the two people always meet. Some people, think this legend comes from this real-life phenomenon of people sharing dreams. Even though it’s rare, people latched onto the few stories they heard and turned it into a legend involving all people.”

“What do you think?”

“Fate and destiny aren’t facts. They’re abstract ideas that don’t have much of a place in my area of study. That being said, there is an interesting relationship held between those in history we know shared dreams. Most of them have changed the course of history in one way or another.”

“Not to sound self-deprecating, but I’m not exactly changing the world with my little book shop.”

“It’s not always in obvious ways.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m sure you’ve heard of Queen Elizabeth the II.” After Jason nodded his head, Barbara continued to speak. “Most people don’t know, but she shared dreams with another woman. They met while she was in the army during World War II and they remained pen pals until the other woman died in the eighties. You wouldn’t recognize her name if I told it to you, but she did some pretty incredible things for the people around her. She touched many lives.”

“Why don’t more people know about her?”

“History remembers those that do big things, whether good or bad. What she did to protect and help those people isn’t grand enough for most historians to care about, even if she had ties to a queen.”

“So, whoever I’m sharing dreams with is probably some big deal. That doesn’t make the idea of meeting them any easier.”

“If there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s that these bonds are incredible things. I’m sure whoever you’re tied to will bring out the best of you and you’ll do the same for them. History doesn’t lie.”

Jason let out a little laugh, then settled back in his chair. “Except when people decide to change it for their own good.”

“True, but I doubt anyone bothered to change what I gave you. You can tell me if you catch any inconsistencies.”

“I’m not much of a detective, but I’ll let you know if I do catch anything. Thanks for taking the time out of your schedule to see me. I appreciate it.”

“It was nice to meet you.” A pale hand extended across the table and Jason reached to meet it in the middle of the table for a firm handshake. “You’ll have to keep me informed on how things go for you and I’ll let you know if I find anything else that might help.”

“I will.”

* * *

 

_His heart hammered. His knees shook. His head pounded._

_The bars gripped tightly in his hands felt slippery with sweat and he could feel himself losing control of his balance. He leaned dangerously forward, then back so far, he nearly ended up falling onto his backside. Unsteadily, he lowered himself to the ground, being careful not to bend his leg at an uncomfortable angle. The muscles in his leg burned fiercely and no matter how much he tried, he couldn’t ignore the immense pain starting at his hip and radiating down._

_Tears rolled down his heated face, dripping into his lap and onto his hands. The pain wasn’t unfamiliar, he should really be used to it by now, but it always got to be too much somehow. He felt like screaming and yelling and cursing at the world. It all felt like too much at once. His leg hurt and his chest hurt and his heart hurt._

_Why did everything hurt so bad? Hadn’t he been through enough already? When would it stop?_

_He slammed his hands against the ground in frustration, then kicked out at the balance bar with his good leg. The bar shook violently above him, but still remained firmly bolted into the ground. He kicked at it again and again and again. Finally, he stopped with a furious scream, then buried his face in his hands._

_For a second, he wished the ground would just open up and swallow him whole. There wouldn’t be any more physical therapy or pestering about his life choices or people staring at him. It would give him a moment of peace from all the stress he’d been put through for the past three years. A break from all the crap weighing on his shoulders, like Atlas holding up the world._

_He tugged ferociously at his hair. He pulled at the strands so hard he could almost feel them coming out of his scalp. It distracted him from the darkness creeping all around him. This wasn’t the first time it tried to claw its way into him and make a home in his heart. It tried to spread through his arteries and fill anywhere it could make a home. The darkness tried to trap him in his own head, but he wouldn’t let it. Never let it._

_With a shuddering gasp, he dropped his hands back into his lap and lifted his head up. He forced in a shaky breath to calm his agitated mind, then dropped his head back to stare at the bright lights shining above him. The tightness in his chest gradually eased away, allowing him to breath easily for the first time in a long time. While the aching in his leg stayed, it wasn’t the intense throbbing he felt before he forced himself to sit on the ground. Maybe someday all the physical therapy would stop the constant reminder of the accident, but he would take the momentarily dulling over nothing._

_After preparing himself for it, he grabbed hold of the closest bar and slowly lifted his body off the ground. He leaned heavily against the bar, wishing he would have brought his crutches with him like physical therapist always told him to. His cane taunted him from the far end of the bar he left it leaning against before he started. Every hop closer to the end, made his arms strain a little more under the weight he forced onto them. When he reached the end, he took a second to catch his breath again before taking hold of his cane. As he made his way toward the exit, he took a second to glance in the mirror covering one of the walls._

_Blue eyes stared back at him._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! The next chapter will be up Wednesday of next week. All kudos and comments are greatly appreciated. You can find me on Tumblr ([SociallyAwkwardFoxWriter](http://sociallyawkwardfoxwriter.tumblr.com/)) and ask questions, stay up-to-date on what I'm working on, or anything else Tumblr related. Until next week!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally Jason and Tim were going to meet in this chapter, but I accidentally did the thing where I plan something and it doesn't happen. Sorry! Next chapter for sure!  
> *WARNING: Depiction of child abuse occurs in the italic section!*

“You finally saw them?”

Jason cringed in disgust at Roy talking with his mouth stuffed full of muffin, but didn’t see the point in voicing it. “Just their eyes. Blue eyes.”

“Well, how many people in Gotham have blue eyes? That should narrow it down to a few thousand.”

“If they even live in Gotham. For all I know, they live on the other side of the world.”

“Why so pessimistic, Jay? Didn’t that professor tell you people that share dreams always meet? Even if they’re on the other side of the world, you’ll still meet them someday.”

“There’s always a first.”

“And it won’t be you. You’ve been sharing dreams with them more often recently and now you know what their eyes look like. That’s gotta mean you’re going to meet them soon. Maybe even today or tomorrow! What did those things she gave you say?”

“A few journals mentioned sharing more dreams before they met, but none of them said anything about seeing who they shared dreams with and none of them mentioned nightmares.”

“Did any of them grow up on the streets of Gotham?” When Jason shook his head with a roll of his eyes, Roy let out a heavy sigh. “Look, none of our lives have been easy, especially yours, but good things do happen. The shop is doing great and you’re helping out all those kids that would’ve ended up like you if you weren’t there for them. You’ve worked hard to get where you are now. It’s about time the universe-or whatever-did something nice for you.”

“In my experience, that’s not how the universe works.”

“Like you said, there’s always a first.”

“Don’t throw my words back in my face. If I wanted someone to do that, I would be talking to Kori about this.”

“She just wants you to smile a little more and be happy with your life.”

“What exactly does she say about me?”

Roy shook his head, then shoved his hair out of his eyes. “It’s nothing like that. Kori’s not the gossip type. She’s just worried about you. You used to drop by all the time to tell us about how things were going and what the kids were up to, but we hardly see you anymore and we live right next to each other. You look tired all the time and this sharing dreams thing is eating away at you.”

“I know, I just… For as long as I can remember, I’ve had these dreams I don’t fully understand. It always felt like I was looking through someone else’s eyes, but I never knew why until the nightmares started. I guess I’ve just reached the point that I want it all to be over with already.”

“You think meeting them is going to stop the dreams?”

“No. I never thought that and none of the stuff Barbara gave me says anything about the dreams ever stopping. I don’t know what I expect to happen. Maybe that’s why I just want to get it over with already. Whatever happens, I want it to happen sooner rather than later. If it’s bad, I need to know. It’s better to know.”

“Why are you so convinced whoever this is means bad news?”

“I don’t know what it means.” The frustration must have been evident in his voice going by the look on Roy’s face. “I’ve never known what any of this means. Even now, I don’t really understand any of it. The more I read about it, the less sense it makes. It’s… overwhelming.”

“It’s a good thing you’re not alone then. We might not be able to understand exactly how you feel, but you know we’re always willing to listen. All you have to do is drop by. There might even be pastries and coffee for you if you do.”

“Trying to bribe me now, Harper?”

“If that’s the only way to get you over, I’ll bribe you with all the pastries we’ve got.”

With a fond roll of his eyes, Jason reached over the table to ruffle Roy’s messy hair. “There’s no need to bribe me. How about we all have dinner together tonight? I’ll cook and everything. No bribery necessary.”

“You know Kori will still bring something over.”

“Don’t think I’m going to tell her not to.”

“I’d be pissed if you did. She doesn’t ever bake for me and I’m not allowed to take anything from the shop. I’m pretty sure she loves you more than she loves me.”

“Don’t be dramatic, Harper. It’s not a good look on you.”

* * *

 

Despite his raging headache, Tim was relieved to be out of the office and in the semi-fresh Gotham air. Most summer days it would be too muggy to sit outside during lunchtime, but today the clouds blocked the sun and a pleasant breeze blew past. If he were meeting the board or ninety percent of the people he did business with, they’d turn their nose up at the idea of sitting outsides. He knew Bruce wouldn’t mind sitting away from all the hustle and bustle of the main restaurant and it’d be easier to talk without having to talk over any loud patrons.

A part of Tim was irrationally nervous for this meeting with Bruce, despite the fact he knew there wasn’t any reason he should be. He’d known the man practically since he could walk and the man made it clear he was always welcome in his home, especially after his parents died. Tim got the feeling Bruce would have adopted him in a heartbeat if his aunt wouldn’t have accepted custody over him. While many mistook him as a typical billionaire playboy, Tim knew what the real Bruce was like. Bruce wasn’t the phony persona he put on at parties to keep the paparazzi and nosy individuals out of his business. Overall, he was a great man, even if he could be a bit of an ass sometimes.

“Tim, good to see you again.” When Tim moved to stand, Bruce waved him off and took his own seat on the other side of the table. “How did the board take your proposal?”

“Exactly the way I expected them to. Most of them made it pretty clear they would never agree to my proposal, but there’s a few I think we can convince. Not that a few really helps, we need more approval than that for this to work.”

“We knew this merger would take more than a few weeks to accomplish. We have to be patient if this is going to work.”

“I know. I’m just worried. The longer this merger takes, the more likely it is they’ll find some way to make sure it never happens. They don’t care about what’s best for the company and its employees. All they care about is making sure they get as much money out of it as possible. Their legacy and the future of this company isn’t a concern to them.”

After glancing through the menu, Bruce set it aside and placed his laced hands on the table. “Tim, I know how much this company means to you. All you want is what’s best for your company and I promised to help you make that happen. We’ll do whatever it takes to make sure this company becomes something you’re proud of. When the day comes, you’ll be the one in charge of Wayne-Drake Enterprises. There’s no doubt in my mind you’ll do great things. Much better than anything I ever did or anything your parents ever did.”

“You’re the only one that thinks so.”

“Not the only one. Plenty of people believe in you. Dick likes to brag about how amazing his adoptive siblings are to his co-workers and I know your friend Stephanie thinks you’re going to do great things once you’re no longer being held back by the board.”

Tim opened and closed his mouth several times, then snapped his mouth shut while he got his thoughts together. “How do you know Stephanie?”

“She’s a good friend to my adopted daughter and a young man I think of as my son. I would have met her eventually, especially with how often she comes to the Manor to visit Cass.”

“I didn’t know you adopted Cass.”

“Not surprising. I made sure to keep it out of the news. Cass prefers not to have attention drawn to her.”

“Not exactly easy when you’re getting adopted by the richest man in Gotham.”

“It wasn’t. A lot of money had to exchange hands for it to happen, but I would do it all over again.” After making it obvious he was done talking about it, Bruce reached for the folder Tim had placed in the middle of the table when he arrived. “Are these all your notes and changes for the proposal?”

“Yes. I put down everything I could think of, but I’m sure I missed a few things.”

“Doubtful. I’ll take a look at it this evening and send you another revised copy before the end of next week.”

“Thanks again for doing this. I know this can’t be easy on your end either.”

“I’ve told you before there’s no need to thank me. It’s a good, solid plan and I’m proud of you for coming up with it. You’ll make your parents proud and, most importantly, yourself.”

* * *

 

A knock on the shop door pulled Jason’s attention away from the bills and receipts he’d been pouring over since he closed. One glance at the clock, told him he’d been hard at work for nearly two hours and it was much too late for anyone to be knocking for the sake of casual conversation. Knowing it was better to be safe than sorry, Jason grabbed the gun from the shelf under the register and tucked it into the waistband of his jeans where it wouldn’t be seen. He approached the door casually to avoid being caught off guard, trying to catch sight of whoever was at his door through the window as he did so.

With no light to illuminate the outside of the shop, it was impossible for Jason to see who was knocking at such a late hour. Not for the first time, he wished he would have finally gotten around to installing the two lantern style lights he had sitting upstairs in his apartment. Kori had forced him to buy them when he mentioned the problem to her and assured him they fit the cosy feeling everyone said his bookstore had. She’d be furious if anything happened to him because he didn’t put the lights up like she told him to.

“Who is it? We’re closed.”

“I-” The voice was so shaky, Jason struggled to hear it through the glass of the shop door. “I don’t know if you remember me, but I came in the other day. You helped me find that book and I… I really need some help. I know you said I could come whenever the store is open, but I don’t know where else to go. Please, help me!”

With a little groan, Jason unlocked the door and ushered the shaking girl inside. “Not to sound rude, but don’t you have a friend you could go to. I’m sure they could help you a lot more than I could. The emotions department isn’t really my forte.”

“Most of them are out of town for the summer on vacation or out doing things. I couldn’t stay at home. They’re so angry at me. Saying I’m a disgrace and I’ve ruined my life forever. I don’t know what to do and this was the only place I could think to go.”

“It’s already. Calm down that. Stress isn’t good for you right now. Take it easy. I’m not going to kick you out. Deep breaths. There you go. Now, I’m going to call my friends. They live right next door. One of them will smother you in cookies until you feel better and the other knows how you’re feeling right now. Maybe he can help.”

“He does?” The tears glistening in the girl’s eyes were slowly disappearing with every blink. “How?”

“When he was about your age, his girlfriend got pregnant. Neither of them wanted to get rid of the baby, so they decided to keep her. Their parents weren’t supportive of them, but they found a way to make it work. Now they share custody of her and she’s the happiest little girl you’d ever see.”

“Why didn’t they stay together?”

“They weren’t a good fit, but they stayed friends and they’re still close. They’re also great parents. It doesn’t matter they were too young or whatever else people told them. Lian is amazing and so are they. Are you going to be fine here? I’ll only be at the counter.”

“Yeah. I’ll be fine.”

Jason aborted giving the girl a comforting squeeze on the shoulder and tried his best not to sprint to the counter. The last thing he wanted to do was set the girl on edge by acting as uncomfortable as he felt where she could see him. He concentrated on keeping his hand perfectly steady as he picked up his phone and clicked on Roy’s name in his call log. Every ring tested Jason’s thin resolve to not freak out and he let out a sigh of relief when Roy picked up.

“Why are you calling? Just come over if you need something.”

“I need your help.”

“With what? Can’t it wait until tomorrow. I already showered. As much as I love grease, I’d rather not have to shower again.”

The temptation to slam his head against the counter grew in Jason, but he did his best to fight the urge down. “Not with anything like that. Remember that girl I told you about?”

“Which one?”

“The one looking for the book.”

“The one looking for the fancy one or the other one?”

“The other one.”

“Yeah. What about her?”

“She just showed up. Said she didn’t have anywhere else to go, so she came here. Her parents found out and wouldn’t stop yelling at her or-”

“We’ll be right down.” Something shuffled in the background, probably Roy pull on whatever clothing he find. “Try not to make her cry.”

“Hurry up and I won’t.”

* * *

 

“Hello, Tim. You look well. Still exercising and doing your stretches?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

His doctor rolled her eyes as she took a seat on the rolling stool next to the only counter in the small examination room. “How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?”

“At least one more.”

“Still sassy I see. Good to know somethings don’t change, but calling me ma’am should. It’s Leslie. We’ve known each other long enough I won’t consider it an insult for you to use my first name.”

“Of course, Dr. Thompkins.”

“Don’t forget we haven’t started your check-up yet. I could still decide we need to run some painful tests on you. It’s important for your yearly examination to be thorough. I wouldn’t want to miss anything.”

“Isn’t that against the oath you take?”

A little smile appeared on Leslie’s face. “I’ll make an exception, just for you.”

“I must be your favorite patient.”

Leslie let out a little hum as she began the annoyingly long process of Tim’s annual check-up by checking his ears. He knew the drill well enough to tilt his head and open his mouth before Leslie even had to ask. The cold press of her stethoscope against the bare skin of his back and chest had him fighting back the urge to shiver. It should be something he was used to by now, considering how often he had check-ups after the accident, but it always made his nerves jolt and his teeth chatter.

“Everything looks and sounds excellent so far. Have you had any trouble breathing recently?”

“No. I’ve had some chest pains, but nothing that effected my breathing. Just a little tightness.”

“Any muscle spasms?” The pen in Leslie’s hand moved swiftly across the page as she spoke.

“Only in my leg.”

“How have you been sleeping?”

Knowing Leslie wouldn’t mind a little snark, Tim pointed to the dark bags underneath his eyelids. “I’m sure you can tell me.”

“Fair enough. Is it because of stress or the nightmares or both?”

“I think it’s the nightmares. Maybe a little bit because of the stress.”

“Are the nightmares getting more frequent?”

“Yes.”

“How frequent?”

“Around four or five nights a week.”

“Has anything changed?”

“Yes.” On instinct, Tim glanced at the door like he expected someone to barge in right at that moment and badger him with questions. “We shared one of my dreams the other night and I remember looking in a mirror at the very end. I think they may have seen what I look like or at least some of what I look like.”

“Have you asked Barbara about this yet? This isn’t my area of expertise. I can help you out with your chest and leg, but I don’t feel comfortable prescribing you sleeping pills when I don’t know whether they’ll help you or hurt you. You need to get sleep. I’d be worried enough with anyone else, but with your medical history I’m deeply concerned what this could mean for you. If you get severely sick because of this, your immune system isn’t as prepared to battle it.”

“I know, I know. Missing spleen and everything else.”

“Tim, I’m your doctor. It’s my job to worry about your health and your job to listen to my concerns and do what I tell you to. Get some sleep. I don’t care if that means leaving work early a couple days a week to take a nap, do what you have to.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Glad you agree. Now, time to take a look at that leg. Ready?”

“Yes.”

Before Leslie even touched his leg, Tim gritted his teeth together and prepared for the stretching and pulling. No matter how gentle her hold might be on him, the point was for her to test the strength and flexibility of his leg and that meant some pain when he reached his breaking point. When Leslie began to lift his leg, Tim gripped the edge of the table and took a deep breath.

* * *

 

_He could hear her screaming again. Her voice was scratchy and rough from years of doing drugs, smoking, and drinking. The door shook as she slammed her hands violently against it over and over again. He knew the old door would give way under her heavy hits, but there was nothing he could do. Hiding under his bed or in his closet would only end with her finding him and beating him harder. A few times he considered sneaking out the window, but there would be no coming back if he did that._

_Maybe, if he had somewhere to go he could do it, but there was nowhere to go and no one to help him. Leaving would mean loneliness and, while he hated his mother, loneliness scared him more than any blow she could land. Loneliness meant being alone in this huge, dark world without anyone to keep him company and distract him from the horror of it all. He supposed some might consider loneliness better than what he had to deal with, but he knew better. The world was much more unforgiving than the wicked woman that called herself his mother._

_The door slammed open to reveal his fuming mother with her red eyes wide and a slight stumble in her step as she moved toward him. Her hands landed clumsily upon his shoulders, then she pushed him hard enough he slammed into his dresser._

_“Why didn’t you come when I called you? Were you trying to hide from me? You know I don’t like it when you hide from me!” A hand came down hard against the side of his face, causing his head to snap to the side. “Answer me, you useless child!”_

_“I didn’t hear you.”_

_“Didn’t hear me yelling! Did you sneak out again?”_

_“No.”_

_Another slap against his cheek made the skin burn fiercely. “Don’t talk to me that way I’m your mother and you’ll respect me! Do you understand me?”_

_“Yes.”_

_“What was what that? Speak up!”_

_“Yes!”_

_“Don’t yell at me! I should have given you away while I had the chance! There are plenty of couples out there looking for kids, but they’d never want someone like you. All you do is screw everything up! I had a good life before you came around and do you thank me for what I do? No! You’re just a lazy, useless boy!”_

_“Stop it!”_

_“Yell at me! You just yelled at me.”_

_The punch got him right in the eye, no doubt leaving a bruise in its wake. She did it again to the same eye, then shoved him hard into the dresser again. His temple smacked against a knob, causing stars to pop into his vision. Sticky blood slid down the side of his face and into his gaping mouth. When he attempted to right himself, another shove knocked his head into the dresser again._

_His entire world went black._

* * *

 

“Morning, Jason. You look like you could use some help.”

He glanced up at the blonde leaning against the counter, then stood up from his crotched position behind the counter and leaned against it as well. “Morning. Are you offering?”

“No. I have my own job and school already. Can’t you find some high school kid that needs a summer job to help you out? That’s what most places do.”

“I’ll think about it. I’m guessing you’re here for the book?”

“If you can handle getting it for me.”

“Very funny.”

“You look like you could use a nap or three.” Stephanie clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth and narrowed her eyes. “Actually, you look worse than birthday boy does and he’s got bags the size of the Grand Canyon. Do you even sleep at all?”

“Wow. I’m so flattered. Please, tell me more.”

“Don’t take it so personal, Jay.”

“I’ll try my best not to. Do you want a bag for this?”

With a shake of her head, Stephanie plucked the book from his hands and looked thoughtfully down at the cover. “You know. I bet the two of you would get along really well. You could bond over reading and not sleeping. How much of a workaholic are you?”

“Do you always ask people you don’t know very well questions like that?”

“I’m nosy and you don’t seem like a complete dick. Are you going to answer the question?”

“Fine. I guess I’m kind of a workaholic. I run this place completely on my own and that takes up a lot of my time. Is there any particular reason you asked that?”

“No reason you need to worry about. What are you doing tonight?”

Jason raised an eyebrow at Stephanie. “Why?”

“I told you. I’m nosy. What are you doing tonight?”

“You’re a strange one. I’m having dinner with a few friends. Anything else you want to know? Maybe my birthday or my social security number or my credit card number?”

“Not today. I’m not really in the mood to destroy your life today. Maybe next time.”

“Next time?”

“What?” A thin blonde eyebrow raised as Stephanie crossed her arms over her chest and jutted her hip out to the side. “I’m not good enough to be your friend? Do I need to fill out an application form before you’ll consider me for Jason Friendship Status? I’ll have you know, I’m an absolute delight to be friends with. Nine out of ten of my friends would agree with that statement.”

“Who’s the one that wouldn’t?”

“Probably Tim, but I know he doesn’t actually mean it. He just acts like he doesn’t like me when I annoy him.”

“Is that supposed to make me want to be your friend?”

“You act like I’m giving you a choice. I know where you work. I could come here every day, until you agree to be my friend if I wanted to.”

“If I agree to be your friend, will you promise not to do that? This is a business. I can’t have weird blondes hanging around and annoying the other customers.”

“Last time I checked, I’m a customer of this establishment. See? Bag!”

Despite trying not to, Jason chuckled under his breath loud enough for Stephanie to hear him and she got a triumphant smile on her face. “Don’t look so pleased with yourself. It’s not that much of an accomplishment.”

“Don’t take this away from me. I’m allowed to be proud of myself for that.”

“Want two bucks to go next door and buy yourself a cookie for a job well done?”

“That sounds amazing, but I should go. I still have other things I need to do before Tim gets off work. He’s already suspicious enough. I’ll see you soon, Jay.”

“See you, Steph.”

* * *

 

The piece of fabric covering Tim’s eyes started to slide slowly down his nose, but someone adjusted the tightness before he could get a glimpse of anything. As soon as he had walked through the door to his apartment, Stephanie tied a blindfold over his eyes and forced him right back the way he came. Pleads to at least change clothes before they went wherever they were going were ignored by an impatient Stephanie trying to get him to just listen for once. She carefully guided him into the passenger’s seat of her car, then turned up the radio loud enough he couldn’t hear anything except the music.

When the car finally came to a stop, someone else opened the car door before Stephanie had time to unbuckle her seatbelt. Dick’s familiar voice greeted both of them, then he helped Tim out of the car and took over leading Tim. Nothing he or Stephanie or anyone else around them said helped Tim to figure out just where the two of them were taking him. He knew them long enough he mostly trusted their decision-making skills, but they could go a little bit overboard-especially when they worked together. He just hoped this wouldn’t be one of those times.

After a short ride up an elevator, they made their way up a flight of stairs that lead to his blindfold slipping down. Now, he was standing with a blindfold covering his eyes feeling like a complete moron, because he had no idea what was going on around him. What felt like five minutes later, someone finally removed the blindfold and the light immediately assaulted his eyes. He blinked furiously to get used to the light, then looked at the room.

The room looked huge because the only thing in it was a table big enough to fit nine people. Only three seats weren’t occupied and it wasn’t difficult to figure out who they were for. Before taking his seat, Tim pulled Stephanie and Dick into a quick hug that they both eagerly returned. He quickly took the empty seat between Bart and Kon and almost fell off his chair when Bart lunged for him. Kon reacted quick enough to keep everyone upright, then added himself into the pile.

“What are you two doing here?”

Bart pulled back with a huge grin on his face. “We weren’t going to miss your birthday! It’s a special day.”

“It’s not that special, but I’m excited to see you both. It feels like we haven’t seen each other in ages. I’ve been meaning to come visit, but-”

“There’s no need for that! We both know how busy you are and we love coming to see you!”

“When do you leave?”

“Day after tomorrow, but that’s plenty of time to have some fun together.”

“You’re right. I think we should start with birthday presents. That sounds like fun.”

“Yes!” In a flash, Bart disappeared from his seat and returned to it with his arms full of presents he set haphazardly on the table. “Start with mine. It’s the best. Way better than whatever Kon bought you.”

“I’m sure both of your gifts are amazing. It’s not a competition.”

Bart shoved his gift at Tim, until he took it in his hands and started to remove the tissue paper from the bag. He tried his best not to make a mess with the tissue paper, but between the pile of presents in front of him and the two people on both sides he didn’t have much space to work with. Something wrapped in more tissue paper fell from the bag when he slowly tipped it enough for the thing to drop out. From the weight and feel of it, Tim thought it might be some sort of plush something or other. He removed the last of the tissue paper and laughed at the stuffed robin in his hands.

“This is adorable. I love it. Thank you, Bart.”

“Yes! I saw it and it immediately reminded me of you. I know how much you love them.”

“It’s perfect. I know just where to put it.”

“Good.” A new present got pushed into his hands. “Now, this one. It’s Kon’s present.”

“Give me a second.”

This one was much smaller than what Bart gave him and he could hear the thing inside rattling around as he moved it. After a little struggling, he managed to untie the string keeping the lid on the box and set it and the lid aside. What looked like a small charm, sat on a small cushion in the middle of the box and made a pleasant sound when he lifted it out of the box.

“It’s supposed to ward off nightmares.” The tone of Kon’s voice made it clear he didn’t believe it would work. “I picked the one with your favorite colors. Thought you might like it, even if it doesn’t work.”

“Thank you. It’s perfect. I’ll keep it on my nightstand. Even if it doesn’t work, it’ll look great.”

A new gift waved around in front of his face, until he snatched it out of Stephanie’s hand. “Mine next. Although, you probably shouldn’t open this now. You’ll want to be boring the rest of the night once you see what it is.”

Despite the fact he wanted to refuse just to annoy her, Tim began to slowly remove the wrapping paper from the present. Stephanie let out an annoyed huff at his deliberately turtle-like pace, but she didn’t say anything to get him to go any faster. When he finally pulled all the paper off, he carefully took the lid off the white box and moved the tissue paper out of the way. His eyes went wide at the sight of a familiar book title on an unfamiliar cover.

“Open it up!”

With slightly shaky fingers, Tim removed the book from the box and opened the front cover just wide enough to look inside. “It’s a first edition.”

“Who’s your favorite now?”

“Where did you find this?”

“A little bookstore next to the coffee shop I’ve been going to. You’d like the guy running it.”

“Why?” Tim continued to look through the first couple of pages and felt a little bit giddier with every page turn.

“He’s a book nerd like you and he’s attractive.”

“What?”

“Nothing. I’ll give you the address if you want to stop by and see what else he has.”

“I love you, Steph. This is incredible.”

“Love you, too.” A cocky smirk appeared on her face and she turned to look at Bart, then at Kon. “I win.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! The next chapter will be up Wednesday of next week. All kudos and comments are greatly appreciated. You can find me on Tumblr ([SociallyAwkwardFoxWriter](http://sociallyawkwardfoxwriter.tumblr.com/)) and ask questions, stay up-to-date on what I'm working on, or anything else Tumblr related. Until next week!


	4. Chapter 4

“Come again.”

The man nodded his head in reply, then left with his head down and his shoulders hunched in like he was trying to get as small as possible. Jason let out a little sigh as he turned his attention to the six kids sitting in the little corner he created for them. One of the two older kids was reading quietly to the others, while the other held a little boy that had come in crying. Nothing Jason did got any information out of him, but he gave Jason a smile when offered a cookie and hadn’t cried since he latched onto the girl.

Despite the fact it wasn’t actually closing time, Jason decided to turn the sign and start cleaning everything up. It’d been an extremely slow day and he couldn’t even remember the last time he spent time with the kids. Between the lack of sleep and running the shop, his mind was too exhausted at the end of the day to stay after hours and spend time with them. He felt bad about it all the time, but Roy and Kori had dropped in a few times to do it for him and none of the kids seemed to have a grudge against him at the moment.

After a quick sweep and dust of the shop, Jason fell into the rocking chair next to the kids and listened to the end of the story. The two older kids kept sneaking glances at him, but the younger kids were too engrossed in the story to notice him. When the boy snapped the book shut, all the younger kids let out groans and asked for the boy to read them another story. It wasn’t until one of them noticed him, they all stopped bugging the boy and moved to sit closer to Jason with excited looks on their faces.

“Settle down. Who’s turn is it to pick?” They all looked at each other, but none of them moved to give him a book. “No one? Does that mean I get to pick?”

The kids let out a loud cheer and started shoving at his legs to make him move out of the chair and to the children’s section. As he looked through the books he let out loud humming noise, causing the kids to laugh and tell him to go faster. When he finally found a book, he took his time pulling it from the shelves and walking back over to the rocking chair. Slowly, he opened the front cover and flicked lazily through every page to get to the first poem.

“Everyone ready?”

A small girl with bright blonde hair shuffled a little closer to him and placed her tiny hands on his knee. “What are you reading?”

“It’s called Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein. It’s a book of poems.”

“What are poems?”

“They’re like really short stories that normally have a theme and a lot of the times they rhythm. People use them a lot to express love.”

“Can you write a poem?”

“I could, but it probably wouldn’t be very good.”

“Why?” Her grey eyes went wide and her hands gripped his knee a little bit tighter. “You tell the best stories and you said poems are like stories, so you can write good poems!”

“Maybe someday I’ll try and you can tell me what you think.”

“Really.”

“Really. If I ever write poetry, you’ll be the first to read it. Any other questions before I get started?” Everyone shook their heads and shifted a little closer to the rocking chair. “All right. You’re going to love this one.”

* * *

 

_Everything felt fuzzy. He couldn’t think straight. Something hurt, but he couldn’t tell what or how bad. A part of him just knew something hurt. There was something strange, something different. The more he tried to think-to make sense of things-the less he understood. There was fuzziness and pain and strangeness. That he knew._

_Somehow, his eyes opened and he found himself staring at an unfamiliar tile ceiling. He blinked and blinked again to make sure his mind wasn’t playing tricks on him, then rolled his head to the side. A shining monitor appeared before him, but he couldn’t make sense of the numbers and the beeping. He watched the line move up and down across the screen and nearly drifted off to sleep._

_A sharp stab of pain pulled him back and had him searching desperately for something to make it stop. His hand knocked against something and it fell to the floor with a loud clatter. The pain intensified, causing his chest to tighten and his lungs to scream in agony. He opened his mouth to scream, but nothing came out. There was too much pain and his chest. It hurt. It hurt too much._

_The steady beeping that had nearly put him to sleep, now sounded wild and crazy to his ears. It had to stop. The noise and the pain had to stop. He needed it to stop. His chest hurt and he couldn’t breathe because his lungs were being crushed. The ceiling above him started spinning and turning and twirling around the room. Something in him lurched uncomfortably deep in his gut. Warmth spilled from his mouth, dribbling down his chin and throat._

_More of the liquid came out and he let out a loud sob without meaning to. His throat burned and ached, but it felt like a pinprick compared to the crushing pressure wrapped around his chest. Another sob ripped from him and he clutched at whatever he could reach. The fuzziness in his head turned heavy and his eyelids felt like they were made of lead, but the idea of letting them shut terrified him._

_Something slamming nearby cleared some of the heaviness weighing down his mind. Voices sounded from somewhere in the distance, then skin touched his own. A voice spoke to him-calm and inviting. They spoke words he couldn’t understand, but he didn’t want them to stop. Their voice covered him like a warm blanket. They soothed him and eased some of his distress._

_A flood of something rushed through his veins, spreading quickly through his body. His pain began to ease and his eyelids drooped. He struggled to stay awake, but didn’t feel the need to stay awake like he had earlier. Things would be fine when he woke up. The pain and the fuzziness would be gone. The darkness was his friend._

* * *

 

The cursor on his screen blinked tauntingly at him as he struggled with the right words to get his message across without sounding condensing. This was the part he hated about deciding to start up an internship program and run it without the help of anyone else to do things like inform applicants they didn’t make the cut. He pressed his palms firmly against his eyes and wished for someone to magically appear from nowhere to save him. Letting out a frustrated sigh, he minimized the email and went back to reading the report he spent most of the morning thoroughly analysing every word.

When the words started to swim on the screen, he pushed away from his desk and rubbed at his irritated eyes. Nights he slept through were becoming increasingly fewer and farther apart and it was truly beginning to take his toll on him. Reading now caused him extreme difficulty and he found himself struggling to string coherent thoughts together. He felt sluggish and heavy and all he could think about was getting back to his apartment and taking a nap on the couch. Almost every night this week, Stephanie came home to find him passed out in the living room and didn’t wake him until she had dinner on the table. Even her normal night out with Cass was moved to their apartment, so Stephanie could watch over him. If he didn’t feel so exhausted, he might have taken issue with her constant mothering.

Tim glanced down at his watch and let out a groan at the time. He may have already been working for three hours, but there was still an hour and a half before noon rolled around and he didn’t normally take his lunch break until one. His head gave a dull throb at the mere thought of sitting in front of his computer for longer than a couple more minutes. Leslie’s words about leaving work early suddenly popped into his head and the idea of taking almost an entire day off work sent a thrill down his spine. He couldn’t remember the last time he took time off work to just enjoy himself and not for something like a doctor’s appointment. Even on holidays, he spent most of his time working on whatever he could on his laptop at the apartment.

He gripped the edge of his desk and pulled himself back over to his computer, so he could quickly check his schedule for the rest of the day. A relieved sigh left his mouth as he saw the thankfully meeting free schedule looking back at him. Nothing pressing or time sensitive was on the docket and the most he would be missing was the chance to get ahead on a couple of things. With his mind now made up, he reached for his office phone to let his secretary know he would be leaving work early, only for it to ring before he picked it up.

The number on the screen looked oddly familiar, but he couldn’t place why that was until he answered the call. “Is this Mr. Drake?”

“Ms. Vale. I thought we agreed you would make an appointment with my secretary the next time you wanted to speak with me?”

“I’d be more than happy to, but I thought you might like to give me your side of things before I run this article.”

“My side of what?”

“The decision to merge your company with Wayne Enterprises. I heard from a reliable source, that you’ve been pushing for this merger. According to them, not many people support your decision. Care to explain your reason for this sudden decision?”

“Who did you get your information from?”

“They wished to remain anonymous.” The false cheeriness in Vale’s voice grated on Tim’s nerves, but he held his tongue as she continued. “I’m sure you can understand that. So, anything you want to say?”

“My decision to merge with Wayne Enterprises is not a sudden one. Both Mr. Wayne and I have put countless hours and thought into this decision. We both want what’s best for our employees and the world. We believe combining our resources will allow us to make the world a better place. Unfortunately, I cannot provide you with any other details, but I can assure you this was not a decision made in haste. We’ve looked at the pros and cons in merging our companies and found the pros far outweigh the cons. Will that be enough for your article?”

“It’s certainly a start. You said you’re working directly with Mr. Wayne on this? Bruce Wayne?”

“Yes.”

“I see. Thank you for your time, Mr. Drake.”

“Certainly, Ms. Vale. I look forward to reading your article.”

* * *

 

The box of books dropped heavily onto the table, causing it to groan in protest at the harsh treatment. Jason rolled his stiff shoulders, then dove into the repetitive work of placing the new inventory on the shelves. His eyes started to drift shut as the monotony of the task let his mind relax enough for sleep to creep up on him. It wouldn’t be the first time he fell asleep on his feet doing work, but he couldn’t afford to do so in the middle of day.

For a second, he contemplated texting Roy to have him bring by another cup of coffee, but four cups was pushing it for him. The last thing he wanted to come out of so many sleepless nights was a coffee addiction he’d have to break. He resorted to shaking his head to clear the sleep away, then went back to work on shelving the books. He ended up shaking himself awake again several more times before the last book slid home on the shelves.

When he went to pick up the empty box, someone behind him cleared their throat and made an annoyed noise when he didn’t immediately turn around. “What do you want, brat?”

“You have poor customer service skills. It’s a wonder anyone buys books from you.”

“Your boyfriend does.”

“He is not my boyfriend.”

“Stuck in the friend-zone? That’s rough, kiddo. Don’t worry though, you’ve still got plenty of time to find someone that’ll tolerate you.”

“More time than you.” Damian’s green eyes were trying their best to light Jason on fire, but it wasn’t working any better than any of the other times he tried it. “Have you seen Colin?”

“No. Why?”

“I’ve been unable to contact him for several days. I thought he maybe have stopped by your shop during that time.”

“Can’t say he has. Did you need something in particular from him or are you worried about him?”

“It’s none of your business.”

“Then don’t come asking questions.”

“It’s not like you’re any help.”

With a roll of his eyes, Jason walked around Damian to get back to work and wasn’t surprised when the boy followed him. “Did you need something else? Maybe a book?”

“No. Are you sure you haven’t seen Colin?”

“Pretty sure, but who knows. I could be talking to myself right now and I wouldn’t know the difference. It’s been a rough couple of nights. You could ask Kori and Roy. He sometimes drops by to talk to them.”

“I’ll try it. You should sleep more. Your business will begin to suffer if you do not.”

“What do you know about running a business?”

“I’ve spent enough time listening to father and Drake recently to know what I’m talking about. Father bugs Drake to sleep more all the time, but his nightmares prevent him from doing so.”

“He’s not the only one.” A woman tentative walked up to the counter with a piece of paper clutched to her chest and a nervous look on his face. “I’ll be with you in a moment, ma’am. Check with Roy and Kori. If they haven’t heard anything from him, you should stop by the orphanage. They might know where he’s been. Tell him to drop by when you find him.”

“I will, Todd.”

* * *

 

“She did what?” The look on Stephanie’s face caused Tim to snort into his drink and let out a low chuckle. “I can’t believe she called you up after what she did last time. You should have hung up on her.”

“That wouldn’t have gone over very well. I’m more concerned with whoever tipped her off. It could have been anyone on the board.”

“Does it really matter which one of those assholes did it? You know it had to be one of them. Bruce and Lucius wouldn’t tell anyone, so that only leaves them. Why do you care who exactly it was?”

“It’s good to know which one of them is actively trying to prevent this merger from happening before we can even announce what we have planned. They were stupid to call Vicki. If they wanted someone to blindly report I came up with this idea without any forethought, they should have gone to a different writer. She might be a pain in my side, but there’s a reason they call her an investigative journalist. She always digs as far in as she can possible go before she writes an article. I wouldn’t be surprised if she called Bruce the moment our call ended.”

“Think he’ll tell her anything.”

“Nothing more than I told her. We’re not ready for the public to know the details of what we have planned.”

“So secretive. You’d have the public and your employees on your side if you told them.”

Tim polished off the last of his lunch, then leaned back in his chair to give Stephanie his full attention. “It’s not that simple. There’s a lot of moving parts involved and the more information we reveal, the more information they’ll have to keep us from doing it. We have to be careful what we say.”

“I’ll take your word for it. Now, enough talk about that. Let’s talk about your decision to take a day and a half off. I’m so proud of you. What’s the plan?”

“After lunch, I’m going back to the apartment and watching whatever I can find that’ll put me to sleep for a few hours. We should go out to dinner tonight. You, me, and Cass. There’s this new Korean BBQ place I’ve heard is delicious.”

“Cass mentioned something about that. I’m sure she’ll be up for it, especially if you’re paying.”

“Of course, I’ll pay.”

“What about tomorrow?”

“I don’t know.” He hummed thoughtfully under his breath and tapped his finger against the table. “Any suggestions?”

“Napping wouldn’t be a bad idea. That’s why you’re taking time off, right?”

“Yes, but I don’t want to sleep all day.”

“You could come with me to that coffee shop before I go to class for brunch, then check out the bookstore. You could find something new to read or Jason might have other first editions you want.”

“Jason?”

“The guy that owns the place. The attractive one I told you about. We’re friends now.”

“Who decided that?”

With a roll of her eyes, Stephanie tossed a few bills down on the table and stood from her chair. “Very funny. I’ll let Cass know we’re all going out to dinner tonight and text you later with a plan. Get a good, long nap in.”

“I’ll try my best. Don’t fall asleep during class.”

“You’re asking too much of me. It wouldn’t be that bad if he wasn’t so monotone. I’d take the teacher from Peanuts over him.”

“Only a couple more weeks.”

“I’ll try my best to hold on. See you later!”

* * *

 

The last of his whiskey burned the back of his throat on the way down and left his chest feeling pleasantly warm. He placed the glass back on the bar, then stared unseeingly at the rows of bottles lining the shelves behind the bar. Not for the first time that night, Jason wondered why he agreed to meet Kori at a bar after work. It hadn’t seemed that exhausting in the moment, but now he wanted nothing more than to be curled up in his bed with a book. Pillowing his head on his arms sounded like a fantastic idea the more he thought about and was seconds away from doing it when someone magically appeared in front of him.

“Want something else?” Instead of the dark-haired silent woman that served him earlier, a fierce looking red head now stood in front of him with one eyebrow raised. “Maybe a cab?”

“What happened to Cass?”

“What do think? She finished her shift.”

“Never seen you here before.”

“I’m new. Did you want something or can I go do my job?”

“Are you always so cheery?”

“If you wanted cheery, you’d be at a trendy coffee shop complaining to some bubbly barista about your problems. Instead, you’re in here drinking whiskey and staring into space with a broody look on your face. You don’t want cheery.”

After a small shrug of his shoulders, Jason slid his glass over to the bartender and sat up a little straighter. “It wasn’t even my idea to come here.”

“Girlfriend? Boyfriend?”

“Just a friend. Wanted to go out tonight.”

“They wanted to go out or they wanted to get you to go out?”

“Probably a little of both.”

“Bad breakup? Got fired? Someone close die?”

“Nothing like that. I don’t get out much. Most of my time goes into my business and helping out the kids that drop by. It’s been a while since I’ve gone out.”

“I’ll get you a glass of the good stuff. It should help you relax for once and get some sleep.”

“Do I look like I need it?” Jason took a quick sip of the drink she handed him, then let out a happy hum. “Good taste.”

“Like you need it a lot.”

When the door to the bar creaked open, Jason turned to see Kori making her way directly over to him. She took a seat on the barstool next to him and asked for the same thing Jason had without even bothering to ask what he was drinking. The bartender quickly brought over another glass, then went to the other end of the bar to serve another customer. Before she took a swig of her drink, Kori pulled her hair into a high ponytail on the top of her head and let out a little sigh.

“I need this.”

“Rough day?”

Kori downed half her glass in one go, then set the glass back on the bar. “A little. Lian didn’t want to see me.”

“Why? Lian loves you. One time she told me she wanted to be you when she grows up.”

“She didn’t say, but I’m pretty sure it’s because she wants her parents to be together and she sees me as being in the way of that. I don’t blame her for thinking that. She’s a kid. It’s probably hard, especially when kids in her class have parents that live together.”

“Roy and Jade will talk to her about it. She’ll be back to thinking you’re the bee’s knees before you know it.”

“Or I can just bribe her with cookies when I pick Roy up.”

“That would work. That would definitely work.”

* * *

 

_The sound of his feet pounding against the pavement echoed off the buildings of the deserted city street. Some part of him knew he was running toward something-something new and important-but he wasn’t sure what. He didn’t know what it meant or why he even knew whatever it was would be there. There wasn’t much he did know, but his feet were carrying him where he needed to go and that was all that mattered._

_As he took a sharp turn down a street that would lead him to the center of the city, he caught a glance of a dark shape out of the corner of his eye. When he turned to look behind him, he almost tripped in surprise over what he saw. Their shape was humanoid, but they didn’t have any facial features other than blood red eyes shining brightly on their pitch-black faces. They made absolutely no sound as they ran after him and when they extended their hands out to grab him, a shadow of a clawing hand appeared on the ground._

_He pushed his legs to go faster to put some distance between himself and the things following him. The muscles in his legs started to cramp and it became more and more difficult for him to pull enough air into his lungs to breath properly. His head started to feel dizzy from lack of oxygen and his vision went slightly fuzzy around the edges. Despite the fatigue, he continued to push his body to its limits as he approached the middle of the Gotham._

_A quick check behind him sent a spark of confusion through him and he abruptly stopped running to get a better look. None of the shadow-like things were anywhere in sight and neither was the rest of the city. Only a few feet away from him was a ledge where roads, sidewalks, and buildings used to be. As far as his eyes could see, there was nothing but upturned dirt miles below where the remaining parts of the city still stood._

_When he took a tentative step closer to the edge, the asphalt crumbled away under the tips of his toes and cracks spread along the ground. He quickly took a step back as he watched the cracks grow bigger and the ground split apart. Once again, he ran as fast as his legs could carry him and hoped his next step wouldn’t be the one that ended with him falling into the darkness. The sight of the main plaza mere feet away from him sent a wave of adrenaline rushing through him._

_The moment he set foot in the plaza, the sound of the ground crumbling behind him stopped and silence filled the air. He quickly got his breathing back under control, then looked around for the reason he came here in the first place. A figure standing next to the large fountain in the middle of the plaza immediately grabbed his attention. Without thinking, he started sprinting across the short distance between them._

_“Hey!”_

_The person jumped at his unexpected outburst, then turned to look in his direction. Before he could see their face, his feet met the open air and his body tumbled through the nothingness. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut and wished the spinning would stop, so his heart could get out of his throat. Just as the thought he might be stuck falling forever ran through his mind, his body slammed into something hard and he fell unconscious._

* * *

 

Tim jolted upright so quickly the muscles in his chest pulled uncomfortably, causing him to instinctively grasp at the spot the pulling originated. For a second, he rubbed at the tender spot, then he let his hand drop back down to pull the blankets off him. In his haste to get out of bed, he nearly tripped over the pillow he must have flung to the ground in his sleep. He got his balance back before he ended up on his face and hurriedly limped out of his room. Unlike most nights, he didn’t hesitate to knock loud enough on Stephanie’s door to wake her up.

Seconds later, she pulled open the door and leaned tiredly against the doorframe. “What’s wrong?”

 “Nothing’s wrong. I just had the strangest dream or nightmare or whatever you want to call it. It was… I don’t even know what it was.”

“What do you mean?”

“It was like an actual dream, not a memory. It was almost like something out of a movie or a TV show. I don’t even understand what happened.”

“Come on.” Stephanie grabbed his arm to pull him over to the kitchen, then flipped on the light and poured them two glasses of water before taking a seat at the table. “Do you remember what happened?”

“Not everything. A lot of it is a blur now, but I remember bits and pieces. I was in Gotham and it was so empty. There weren’t any cars or people or animals. Everything was just gone and I had this weird feeling, like something important was about to happen. I remember being in the plaza and there was someone else. In my dream, there was someone else there too. I didn’t get to see what they look like, but they were there. Just the two of us.”

“You think it’s the person you share dreams with?”

“Who else could it be? I’ve never experienced anything like this before and I share it with one other person. It has to be them. It’s always been them.”

“Did you see what they look like?”

Tim let out a frustrated sigh as he ran his hand through his hair. “No. We were so close. I think I could have touched them, but something happened before I could see them. It’s annoying. We keep getting so close, then something gets in the way.”

“It’s a sign. You’re going to meet soon, then you won’t have to keep guessing what they look like. You’ll know exactly what they look like and their name and everything else you’ve always wanted to know about them.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“When am I not? It’s about time you meet them and finally sleep through the night two days in a row.”

“That’d be great, then I wouldn’t have to sleep in the middle of the day. If I keep doing it, my whole schedule is going be off and the board will think I’m slacking.”

“Screw them.” A hand squeezed the one Tim had resting on the table, then went back to cradling the cup of water. “You deserve time off to get you energy back after all this dream sharing bullshit. Most people your age don’t have to worry about half the things you do. Hell, most people of any age don’t have to worry about half the things you do. Even Bruce freaking Wayne doesn’t have to worry about half the things you do. He has a team of people behind him that support him and help him accomplish all that stuff. Imagine if you had the same support he did. You’d be able to accomplish even more than you already do.”

“You’re ranting again.”

“Well, someone has to remind you of all the work you do. You’re only human, Tim. There’s only so much you can do on your own. The board expects way too much out of you. I doubt they gave your father this much trouble when he was running the place. If they could pull their heads out of their asses for five seconds and realize how incredible you are, things at Drake Industries would be going better.”

“I think it’s time you went back to bed.”

“Fine, I’ll stop. We can go back to talking about the mysterious dream you had tonight. Did you really not see them at all? Not even a tiny glimpse.”

“If I did, I don’t remember anything about them.”

Letting out a little huff, Stephanie leaned her chair back far enough to lift the front legs of it off the ground. “On the plus side, they might have seen more of you than you did of them and remembered what you look like.”

“I suppose you have a point. There was that dream we shared they might have seen my face or part of it.”

“There’s no way they wouldn’t have recognized you if they saw your entire face.”

“I was a lot younger then and not everyone knows who I am.”

“Always so modest. Let’s hope they got a good glimpse of you. You’ll never find each other if it’s up to you to recognize them.”

“Thanks, Steph. You’re such a supportive friend.”

“I let you drag me out of bed at four in the morning to tell me about a dream you shared with someone else that you barely remember. I’m the best, most supportive friend on the face of the planet.”

“I love you.”

“You better.” Stephanie stood up from her chair and twisted side to side to crack her back. “I’m going back to bed now. Don’t wake me up again before my alarm goes off. If you share another funky dream with them before it does, write it down in a dream journal or something and you can tell me all about it at brunch.”

“Night, Steph.”

“Night, Timmy. Try to get some sleep before we leave.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! The next chapter will be up Wednesday of next week. All kudos and comments are greatly appreciated. You can find me on Tumblr ([SociallyAwkwardFoxWriter](http://sociallyawkwardfoxwriter.tumblr.com/)) and ask questions, stay up-to-date on what I'm working on, or anything else Tumblr related. Until next week!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Description of panic attack.

The door to the small bookstore stood out compared to the plain glass doors most of the shops lining the street had. The faded wood gave it a homey feel without him even knowing what the inside looked like. Stephanie had assurance him it was exactly the type of place Tim liked to spend his free time before he stopped having free time. From the outside, he could see exactly why she would say that.

Glee filled him as he pushed open the door and was immediately greeted by the familiar smell of books. He stepped further into the store, making a beeline for the first set of shelves filled to the brim with countless volumes. His eyes roamed over numerous titles, until he finally reached the classic literature section. Most of the books looked to be new editions meant for students, but a few of them had a little more character to them. A couple of them he plucked off the shelves and cradle against chest as he made his way to the checkout counter.

The little girl sitting on the counter waved excitedly at him, then held out a hand for him to shake once he got close enough. Tim quickly placed all the books down and shook her tiny hand, earning him a little giggle from her for some reason. When he smiled at her, she giggled again and covered her face with her hands. She spread her fingers enough to see him through them and moved her palms out of the way of her mouth.

“Hi!”

“Hello. How are you this morning?”

“I’m fine. How are you?”

“I’m doing great. Thanks for asking.”

“You’re really pretty.” Before Tim could even respond, the girl hopped off the counter and disappeared between the shelves.

“Thanks…”

“No wonder she was acting so shy. She’s got a crush on you.”

Embarrassment burned Tim’s cheeks (if only he was young enough to get away with covering his face like the girl had). “I think I’m a little old for her.”

“Just make sure you let her down gently.”

“I’ll try my best. Got any tips?”

“Nope. You’re on your own.”

“What about first editions? Got more of those?”

“More?” The man tipped his head to the side for a second, then a look of realization appeared on his face. “You must be Blondie’s friend. Tim, right? She mentioned you have a thing for old books and first editions. I see you already found some.”

“A few. I might be willing to buy a couple more if you have anything.”

“I can think of some you might be interested in. How many are you looking to buy?”

“Honestly? I’ll probably buy all the first editions you have.”

A hearty laugh shook the man’s body and his eyes slipped shut, like he was laughing too hard to keep them open. “Guess I’ll break them all out. Just for you. I’m Jason by the way. Not sure if Steph ever mentioned me.”

“She did. I’ll spare you the embarrassment of telling you what she calls you.”

“Thanks. I’m not sure I want to know what she calls me behind my back.”

“It’s always embarrassing. Stay in the dark as long as you can.”

“I’ll do my best.”

Jason crouched down behind the counter, then came back up with several books that Tim couldn’t wait to get his hands on. After moving the books Tim grabbed earlier to the side, he set out the ones from behind the counter in a row. When Jason moved his hands to his pockets, Tim eagerly leaned forward and started flipping through the first couple of pages to get a better feel for them. Excitement had him nearly bouncing on the tips of his toes in delight, but he kept his feet firmly planted on the ground.

“All of them. I’ll take all of them.”

“Only after you pay.”

“Right.” Tim fumbled in his wallet for his credit card, then held it out for Jason to take. As Jason took the card from him, he noticed a silvery scar on the back of his hand. “Is that from when your mom stabbed you with a kitchen knife?”

Every muscle in Jason’s body went tense and the pleasant expression on his face fell into a completely blank mask. The card barely made any noise when it dropped out of Tim’s shaking hand and landed on the counter. He took a step back and brought his hand up to cover his gaping mouth. All the air in the room seemed to have disappeared between one breath and the next and the familiar sensation of his lungs clenching tightly in his chest immediately hit him.

Somehow, he ended up on the ground with his hands gripping tightly at the fabric of his jeans for support. A loud rushing noise filled his ears and the room swam and turned endlessly before his eyes. Each technique engrained in his brain by Dr. Quinzel was nothing more than a jumbled mess at this point. For a brief second, he thought he might just pass out from a panic attack for the first time in a long time, then large arms wrapped around him.

His back pressed against something large and warm and incredibly alive and breathing steadily against him. A firm hand kept him pressed against the stable presence and gave him something to focus on that wasn’t his struggle to breath. Tim focused on forcing himself to breath in time with the other person and gradually found everything returning to normal. The room stood still, he could hear the sound of his harsh, uneven breathing, and finally realized the person holding him had to be Jason.

Fingers tapped lightly against his chest, so Tim moved his hand to Jason leg and tapped against it in response. A loud sigh from Jason moved his entire body with the motion of his chest and put Tim a little more at ease. He felt safe enough to let his head fall back against Jason’s shoulder, while he finished getting his breathing back under control. When his body and mind felt calm once again, he pressed the tips of his fingers firmly into the meat of Jason’s thigh.

“Done?”

“Yeah. For now.”

“Good. That’s good. I think I’m supposed to say it’s nice to finally meet you. It only took twenty years.”

“This feels a little anticlimactic. If this was a book, we would have been tiptoeing around the truth for ages before figuring it out. It almost feels too easy, like we’re just being given the answer.”

“I don’t know if I’d call a panic attack anticlimactic.”

“So, I had a panic attack! Must be a Friday.”

Jason snorted loudly, then both of them started laughing slightly hysterically. “Probably a long shot since it is Friday, but are you free tonight? We should talk about everything.”

“We should. There’s a lot to talk about. Starting tonight is a good idea. I’m completely free.”

“The store’s open until eight tonight, but I don’t mind a late night if you don’t.”

“I think we’re both pretty familiar with late nights. Let me give you my number and we can figure everything out once we have a chance to… process.”

“Good idea. Can you stand?”

“How about you grab your phone and we do this on the floor? It sounds like a really fantastic idea to me.”

“I’ll be right back.”

“Great. I’ll wait right here for you.”

* * *

 

“The text I got said emergency in all caps.” A flip of red hair smacked Jason in the face as Kori leaned her hip against the counter. “I don’t see any emergency.”

“Excuse me for thinking you might want to hear about my first meeting with the person I share dreams with. Feel free to leave.”

“They came here?”

“I didn’t leave! I have the store to run and I’m looking after Anya today.”

“Don’t get snippy with me. What happened?”

With both his hands, Jason vigorously ruffled his hair to get some of his stress out. “Things were going perfectly normal. He picked out a few books to buy, then he asked to see the first editions I had because he’s the one Steph bought that book for.”

“Black hair, blue eyes, and tiny?”

“Not really the description I would use, but yes. That sounds pretty accurate.”

“He’s cute. How’d you figure out he’s the one?”

“I didn’t. After he mentioned knowing how I got the scar on my hand, I noticed his eyes looked familiar and the fact he walked with a little limp seemed more important. I didn’t really get much further than that before he had a panic attack.”

“A panic attack. What did you do?” The slit of green Jason could see through Kori’s narrowed eyes had him feeling indignant at her accusation.

“Why do you assume I did something?”

“You’re sweet with little kids and you’ll make a great parent someday, but when it’s comes to emotions more complicated than sad or happy, you’re hopeless.”

“Am not.”

“Whatever. Why’d he have a panic attack?”

“I don’t know. We didn’t really talk about it.”

“What did you talk about?”

“Meeting up tonight to talk. He gave me his number, so we can plan tonight after we’ve had time to process what just happened.”

“That’s good. What are you thinking?”

Jason shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know. I’ve mostly been thinking about what just happened. It’s a lot to process.”

“I know it is. You’ve been waiting for this moment a long time and it’s a lot to take in now that it finally happened. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

“It helps that I have you to talk to. I feel less stressed now.”

“Good. You don’t need any more stress.”

“The level of stress I have isn’t really up to me. If I could have less stress in my life, I would.”

“You’ll have one less thing to stress about soon. You two will start talking things out and all that stress from not sleeping will go away.”

“You make things sound so simple when it’s not.”

“It is. For instance, you have three choices for tonight.” Kori held up three fingers like a kindergarten teacher and put one down every time she said an option. “You wait for him to text you with a plan, which you are not doing because he’s already been stressed enough today. That leaves either suggesting a place for the two of you to meet at or inviting him to come to the bookstore at close, so you can talk in your apartment. If it were me, I’d rather talk to him in private than in public where a bunch of strangers might overhear.”

“So, I should invite him to talk in my apartment. You’re sure that’s not a little creepy.”

“I think you’ve learned enough about each other over the years for it not to be creepy. What are your dinner options?”

“Dinner options?”

“It’s going to be late. You’re inviting him over. You’re feeding him dinner. He needs it. I can have Roy pick you up groceries. He’s going out later to get us more flour. Make a list and I’ll send it with him.”

“What do you think I should make?”

“Something simple and quick. Pasta would be good.”

“I’m not doing spaghetti.”

“It doesn’t have to be spaghetti, Tramp. Just make a list. I do have actual work I should be doing right now.”

“Don’t rush me.”

* * *

 

The pain in his leg was more intense than it had been in years. While he was running it felt fine, but the moment he stopped the pain hit him hard enough to make his knees buckle. The short walk back to his apartment had never seemed so endless and he had to take several breaks along the way to make it there. As soon as he got through the door, he collapsed face first on the couch and tried to keep his body perfectly still. When the pain got to the point he nearly came to tears, he forced himself off the couch to take some of his medication and grab an ice pack.

Once he returned to the couch, he took more care in assembling his body correctly on it and getting the large ice pack set on his leg. He slipped his hand under the ice pack to knead the scarred tissue of his leg for a few minutes, but stopped when it brought him no relief. The lack of something to distract him lead to him stretching to grab his phone and thoughtlessly flicking from one app to another. His constant changing stopped the moment he pulled up his recent contacts and noticed Dick’s name at the top of the list. With the uncertainty of Dick’s schedule, he normally left it up to Dick to call him, but the idea of hearing Dick’s soothing voice sounded wonderful. Before he could overthink it, he pressed the call button and wait anxiously for Dick to pick up.

“Hello?” The natural brightness in Dick’s voice was covered by the thick blanket of sleep wrapped around his words. “Timmy? Something wrong?”

“I don’t know.”

“Why don’t you know?”

“My leg hurts really bad.”

“What? Did you call Dr. Thompkins?”

“No. I ran too hard today. It’s my fault.”

“You should still call Dr. Thompkins. There might be some other reason it hurts so bad. I can come pick you up.”

Tears threatened to fall because of how much worry and affection filled each and every one of Dick’s words. “I-I’ll be fine. Can you talk to me?”

“Tim, you’re really worrying me right now. Give me a few minutes to get dressed and I can be at your place in no time.”

“You were sleeping.”

“It’s fine. I get plenty of sleep.”

“I had a panic attack.”

“What? When? Why?”

“This morning. I found them.”

“Them them?”

“Yes.”

“Right. I’m coming over right now. I’m going to stay on the phone the whole time.”

Tim zoned out to the sound of Dick’s constant chatter while he got dressed, then made his way to Tim’s apartment. While most people found it annoying, one of Tim’s favorite things about Dick was his ability to talk without needing any form of reply. He could talk for hours about whatever popped into his head and Tim found it soothing, especially when he was extremely stressed or after a panic attack. The constant chatter took all the stress out of needing to come up with a response that existed in most conversations and gave Tim something to focus on.

By the time Dick arrived at his apartment, Tim was too out of it to notice, until Dick rearranged them so he was cradling Tim’s smaller body against his. One hand ran slowly through Tim’s hair, while the other rubbed gently just above his hip where the ice pack stopped. He pressed a gentle kiss to the top of Tim’s head, then continued to talk about something Tim was completely oblivious to. Having Dick wrapped around him made him feel safe enough to unleash the tears he had been holding back.

Dick’s hold on him got a little tighter, but he didn’t try to coax him out of it or wipe away the tears dripping down his face. The steady sound of him talking continued the entire time Tim cried, even when Tim sobbed so violently his entire body shook. Gradually the tears came to halt, leaving Tim sniffling pathetically and trying to push further back into Dick’s body. Like always, Dick hummed a little tune under his breath before he sang to Tim.

“Hey, sweet baby bird. No time for crying. Let me hear you sing your little song. Tweet, tweet, baby bird. Chirp, chirp, baby bird. You’re all done crying. All done crying.”

“Thank you.”

Another hum vibrated against Tim’s back. “You’re welcome, baby bird. How are you feeling? Get everything out?”

“Think so.”

“Good. Want to talk to me?”

“He’s really handsome. It’s not fair.”

“How handsome?”

“He’s really tall and his eyes are kind of a blue-green color and his hair is black, except this one patch in the front that’s white. He was really muscular.”

“Lucky you.” Dick removed the ice pack from Tim’s leg, then tossed it on the coffee table and moved from massaging above his hip to his thigh. “Did he seem nice?”

“Steph told me he helps out kids that live on the street and ones that have difficult home situations and he’s really funny and nice. There was this little girl on the counter and she called me pretty.”

“And I’m sure he loves reading. Sounds like your type of guy. I’m sure you’ll get along great.”

“We’re supposed to be meeting tonight.”

“Do you still want to?”

“We need to talk.”

“But do you want to?”

When Tim nodded, the top of his head brushed against the underside of Dick’s chin. “He’s really nice and I want to talk to him. I think I freaked him out when I had a panic attack.”

“Maybe, but I’m sure he understands. I bet he felt stressed too. It can’t be easy to meet someone you’ve been sharing dreams with your whole life. There are a lot of emotions there and you haven’t been sleeping well, so you’re a little more on edge. He’ll understand that.”

“I knew him because of a scar on his hand he got from his mom. She stabbed him through the hand with a kitchen knife and I just brought it up out of nowhere.”

“You recognized him?”

“I didn’t think. It just popped into my head and I said it.”

“But you were right and it was him and you’re going to talk to him later to clear the air between you two. I bet you’ll be good friends by the end of the night. You’ve got a lot in common and you know a lot about each other. How are you feeling?”

“Tired. I’m going to sleep for a little while.” Tim grabbed a pillow to hold against his chest and let his eyes shut. “Is that all right?”

“Of course. I’ll be here when you wake up.”

“Thank you.”

“I’ll always come when you need me, baby bird. I love you.”

“Love you, Dickie.”

* * *

 

Jason bustled around his kitchen, trying his best not to make a total mess of things as he finished up the final touches on the pasta. Ideally, he would have time to clean all the pots and pans he used to cook dinner, but the clock above the stove told him he only had five minutes until Tim arrived. The other man had easily agreed to meet him outside the shop at eight-thirty, so Jason could show him up to his apartment where they could have their conversation in private. When he mentioned making them dinner, Tim attempted to fight him on it at first, but eventually gave up and promised to bring dessert.

With the pasta separated onto two plates on the table and the kitchen looking relatively clean, Jason decided to head downstairs. Just as he turned on the store lights, a quick knock came from the door and he hurried over to open it. Despite the rather warm night air, Tim had a hoodie several sizes too big for him and a pair of fleece sleep pants on. A light blush dusted his pale cheeks and his hair was sticking up in a gravity defying way. As if knowing exactly what Jason was thinking, Tim ran a hand through his messy hair.

“Sorry, I look like such a mess. I just woke up.”

Jason took the heavy looking bag clutched in one of Tim’s hands and looked curiously into it. “Then who was texting me earlier?”

“Dick. He’s like my brother. I fell asleep on him, so when he got bored he decided to mess around on my phone and answered your texts for me.”

“Well, I hope you had a good nap.”

“I did, thanks.”

“That’s good. We have to go through the shop to get to my apartment.” Trying his best not to seem too awkward, Jason moved to the side so Tim could get through the open door and felt bad for just noticing the cane he was using. “My apartment is upstairs.”

“Hope you don’t mind me slowing you down a little.”

“Of course not. I just wasn’t sure if that would be a problem.”

“Not at all. I’ve had plenty of practice, but you probably know that. Did saying that make things weird?”

“Not any weirder than things already were.”

A tinkling laugh filled the shop, causing Jason to smile at the unexpected sound. “You make a pretty good point. Think there’s anything we could do to make things a little less weird?”

“We could go upstairs and eat the pasta I cooked that’s getting cold.”

“That sounds amazing. Sure you won’t mind waiting for me to get up those stairs?”

“I’m not in any rush. The whole point of this evening is for us to talk about things. We can talk and walk. Are you sure the stairs won’t be too much of a pain? I could bring the food down here.”

“Really it’s fine. Most of the pain’s gone. It’s just achy.”

“Then follow me. I didn’t have time to clean up, so the kitchen’s a little messy.”

“It can’t be any worse than after Stephanie cooks.” The cane made a heavy thunk on each step, that echoed off the walls making it sound even louder. “She’s not bad at it, but the kitchen always looks like a tornado went through it when she gets done.  It takes forever to clean up.”

“She doesn’t seem the cooking type. I would think she’d be too impatient to wait for things to finish cooking.”

“That’s why she doesn’t do it very often and why the kitchen ends up an absolute mess by the time she’s done.”

“Remind me to never let Blondie use my kitchen. I don’t think I want to clean up after Hurricane Stephanie. It sounds exhausting.”

“A little, but the food normally makes up for most of it. There was one time she tried to make some cookies. I can’t even remember what they were supposed to be, but they ended up almost too hard to eat and they tasted so burnt we couldn’t even finish one. They went straight in the trash and we still had to clean up.”

Jason chuckled at the thought as he opened the door to his apartment and held it open for Tim to go through first. “I’m normally pretty good at cooking, but I burned my fair share of food when I was first learning. I couldn’t tell you the number of pans I destroyed.”

“At least you learned and it smells delicious.”

“It’s nothing fancy. Just pasta.”

“I love pasta and I’m starving. I may have skipped lunch after my workout.”

“Food’s this way. You better start eating or Kori will magically know you haven’t and come over to feed you until you’re ready to burst. She already thinks you need to eat more.”

“I just met her today.”

“Kori notices and remembers everything.”

“I’ll be sure not to forget that.”

* * *

 

Tim accepted the glass of water from Jason with a grateful hum, then settled further back into the corner of the couch and pulled the blanket tighter around him. Dinner with Jason had gone a lot smoother than he originally thought it would when Dick first told him about Jason’s offer. They hadn’t talked about any of the dreams they shared or the panic attack Tim had earlier. After a few minutes of eating in awkward silence, Jason brought up the book Stephanie bought for his birthday and they spent the rest of dinner discussing classic literature. All the uncertainty Tim expressed to Dick on the ride over to Jason’s place slowly evaporated the more they spoke.

After dinner, Jason insisted Tim make himself comfortable on the couch, while he cleaned the dirty dishes piling up in the sink. When Tim gravitated over to the bookshelf instead of the couch, Jason left him to pick out whatever he wanted and disappeared into the kitchen. Tim considered picking one of his favorites to read while he waited, but his curiosity ended up getting the best of him. The book he took to the couch with him had a spine so worn, Tim couldn’t even tell what book it was before he pulled it out. It was obviously a favorite of Jason’s.

Tim ended up getting so engrossed in the story, he didn’t realize Jason returned to the living room until the man gently shook his shoulder. The soft smile on the man’s face had Tim instinctively leaning into the gentle hand resting on his shoulder, while Jason asked if he needed anything. The other man had been more than willing to get him a glass a water, then settled in the chair next to the couch instead of joining Tim. He eyed the book Tim set on the side table and waited until Tim finished taking a sip of water to speak.

“Dumas?”

“What about him?”

“You a fan?”

It was obvious Jason was attempting to conceal his excitement at potentially finding someone to talk about Dumas with. “I’ve read the Count of Monte Cristo a couple of times, but not nearly as many as you have. I’m surprised you didn’t bring him up earlier. Looks like you’re a big fan of his work. I noticed Three Musketeers and Twenty Years After on your bookshelf.”

“We were talking about you.”

“We were talking about books, but I think we’ve done enough of that tonight. We can talk about Dumas some other time.”

“You better keep that promise.”

“I will.” After setting the water down on a coaster, Tim pulled the blanket tight enough around him it felt like a warm cocoon. “So, where should we start? The beginning or whatever last night was or what happened earlier?”

“Whatever you’re comfortable talking about.”

“The beginning might be a good place. I think I was around nine or ten when I realized I was sharing dreams with you.”

“Really? I was worried you grew up sharing my nightmares all the time.”

“I did, but I didn’t know it. Not until the one with the woman and the man.”

Jason’s eyebrows furrowed and he leaned a little closer to Tim. “What do you mean?”

“Before that one, I used to have these weird dreams. They were just sounds and blobby shapes. Sometimes I could hear people’s voices, but I could never understand what they were saying. I thought they were just strange dreams. People always told me dreams were just things in your reality you take into your sleep, so I thought that’s all it was. A jumble of things I’d seen, then I had that first clear nightmare and other nightmares started coming and I recognized your mom’s voice. It was you all along and I had no idea. So many years and I never knew.”

“I knew. I can’t remember a time I didn’t know. I loved getting your dreams. They were always so nice. Full of animals and laughter. You seemed lonely though. For a long time, there weren’t any people. I remember the first time someone showed up. That was a really nice one.”

“It’s strange.” Tim’s hands twisted the blanket he had clutched tightly in them and he looked down at his lap. “I couldn’t even remember what I used to dream about. Sometimes, it feels like my life is divided between before the accident and after the accident and most of what I remember is what happened after.”

“How old were you?”

“Fifteen. How old were you when you moved onto the street?”

“Twelve. After the knife thing, I couldn’t stay with her anymore. It didn’t matter I would be alone out there. I knew it would be better than staying with her.”

“I can’t imagine that, but loneliness. I get that.”

A snort erupted from Jason’s mouth and Tim looked up just in time to see Jason flop back into the chair with his eyes staring at the ceiling. “Our childhoods sucked.”

“Yes, but things got better.”

“Things got a whole lot worse, before that got better.”

“But it got us here. I was so unhappy and lonely and bitter for a long, but I wouldn’t change any of it. If things went differently, I might not have met Steph or Dick or Bart or Kon or you. I might not be where I am now and able to do what I’m doing. It was all worth it. In the end, all the shit I had to go through was worth it.”

“Good point. Kori and Roy are the only family I’ve ever had. A life without them… I couldn’t imagine it being worth much of anything. And now there’s you and I have no idea how you fit into anything. You’ve always been there, but never actually there. It’s strange. Strange to actually have you here.”

“I know. I feel the same, but it’s a nice kind of strange. There’s been this weight on me for such a long time and meeting you has lifted that. It’s nice to know you’re really there. You’re more than just the dreams and nightmares I get. You’re a person going through the same thing I am. Everyone tries to understand what it’s like, but they can’t. Knowing you do is such a relief. There’s someone I can talk to about this that understands.”

“Think the dreams will be any different now?”

“No idea.” Tim tried to shrug his shoulders, but the blanket was wrapped too tightly around them for movement to be possible. “I just want to sleep through the night.”

“That’s the dream.”

“Funny.”

“I’m hilarious, Timmy. Never forget that.”

“How could I?”

* * *

 

_He stared up at the sky above him. The fluffy, white clouds moved lazily across the sky and blocked the sun from beating directly down on him. His skin still felt warm, either from the sun’s rays making it through the clouds or the warm air around him or some combination of the two. Soft grass brushed against his skin and moved easily between his fingers as he ran his hands back and forth over it._

_When his hand bumped against something, he turned his head to look at what it was. Pale skin stood out against the bright green of the grass. A soft hand covered his and gave it a light squeeze before moving away again. He moved his eyes from pale skin to blue eyes and a bright smile. He reached his hand up to brush a strand of hair out of his face, then let it fall back to the ground._

_Blue eyes disappeared behind closed lids making him look serene and peaceful, so he followed suit and soon fell fast asleep._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! The next chapter will be up Wednesday of next week. All kudos and comments are greatly appreciated. You can find me on Tumblr ([SociallyAwkwardFoxWriter](http://sociallyawkwardfoxwriter.tumblr.com/)) and ask questions, stay up-to-date on what I'm working on, or anything else Tumblr related. Until next week!


	6. Chapter 6

An uncomfortable crick in Jason's neck pulled him out of the sleepy fog from just waking up. When he tried to remember going to bed the night before, his mind drew a complete blank. He remembered going downstairs to get Tim, having dinner together, then settling down in the living room to talk. They had talked for a long while about the dreams they shared and their lives, but that hadn't been the end of it. One reference from Jason led to them talking about television shows and movies and comics and sports and… That's where things got hazy.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t remember how the night ended or when he fell asleep. Going by the ache in his neck, it was more than likely he ended up falling asleep on the couch or chair at some point and never woke up to go to bed. With a pained groan, Jason opened his eyes to see the light filtering in from his living room window. As he stood from his chair, he cracked his neck and stretched out his tense back.

He was just about to head to the bathroom for a warm shower, when he noticed a small lump curled tightly into the corner of his couch. It reminded him so much of a sleeping cat, he had to take a closer look to make sure it really wasn’t one. Milky white skin poking out from a nest of blanket was enough to assure him a cat hadn't wondered into his apartment while he was sleeping. The moment he took a step closer to get a better look, blue eyes blinked open and stared at him in confusion.

Tim pushed himself up from the couch, looking at Jason with his eyes owlishly wide. His hair stuck up messily in every possible direction and a bright red mark from resting his face on the arm rest stood out dramatically from the rest of his pale skin. When he attempted to push himself off the couch, his legs tangled in the blanket and he let out a barely audible gasp. Before he could lose his balance, Jason caught him around the waist and eased him back down on the couch.

“Easy. I don't want your brother taking me to jail because I let your smash your face up on my coffee table.” A little chuckle from Tim was enough encouragement for Jason to feel comfortable fixing one of the blankets wrapped around Tim. “How do pancakes sound?”

“You don't have to do that. You've done more than enough and I've already over stayed my welcome I'm sure. I can go so you can do whatever you normally do without me in the way.”

“I wasn't planning on cooking. Kori makes pancakes Saturday mornings. It's kind of a tradition. Sometimes Lian and Jade join us, but they’re out of town this weekend and Kori will still make the same amount. It wouldn't be any extra work.”

“I don't know. This sounds like a personal thing and I'm-”

Jason sat down on the coffee table to be eye level with Tim. “It's just breakfast. Well, Kori might grill you while she tries to fill you until you burst and Roy might want to do some tech talk, but that's it. I swear, I won't let them kidnap you or anything. Just breakfast.”

“When you put it like that…”

“Great. I'll let Kori know. Make yourself comfortable. There’s coffee in the kitchen and mugs in the cabinet over the coffee maker. I'm going to take a quick shower.”

“Mind if I take one after?” Pink suddenly spread across Tim’s cheeks and the tips of his ears. “I never got the chance to take one after my workout yesterday.”

“You can go first. I've got some clothes you can borrow. They won't fit, but they're clean.”

“Thank you. You're a really nice guy.”

“Right. Thanks. The bathroom’s this way.”

After making a jerky turn, Jason managed to lead Tim to the bathroom without making a gigantic fool out of himself. Even though he found Tim's embarrassment earlier endearing, his own embarrassment just made him feel awkward and he was sure Tim thought the same. He only hoped the skin on the back of his neck didn't show his steadily increasing embarrassment and didn’t alert Tim to the blotchy blush now covering him. As he pulled comfortable clothing from his dresser, he forced himself to calm down enough for the heat on his face to disappear.

When he handed the clothes to Tim, the other man gave him a grateful smile and held them tightly against his chest. After a few seconds, he raised an eyebrow at Jason and rocked up onto the tips of his toes. The blush came back full force at the realization he hadn't shown Tim where the bathroom was located. He motioned to the door and mumbled something under his breath, then sped out of the room. He grabbed his phone off the counter and collapse on the couch to call Kori.

“You’re late.”

“Why am I so bad with people?”

Dishes clattered in the background followed closely by the sound of Roy swearing, then Kori sighing. “It's because you think too much. Stop over thinking everything and it'll stop being so bad.”

“Sounds so easy when you put it like that, but it's not.”

“People are hard. It's just a fact of life. I'm guessing this has something to do with last night.”

“No. This morning.”

“This morning? Is he still there?” Roy’s voice got louder in the background, but Kori shushed him before Jason could clearly understand a word. “Will he be joining us this morning?”

“He said he would, but he might be reconsidering it after I made a complete idiot out of myself.”

“I'm sure he found it very adorable. Hurry up and bring itty bitty over here. Your pancakes are going to get cold.”

“Please, please, don't call him that to his face.”

“We'll see. The chances of it happening go up the longer it takes you to get here.”

“That’s not fair.”

“Tick tock.”

* * *

 

Their apartment door sounded abnormally loud as Tim tried his best to open it as quietly as possible. On the weekends, Stephanie had a tendency to stay up late and sleep most of the day away. It wasn't uncommon for her to pass out on the couch in the middle of binge watching television shows or playing video games. Occasionally, Tim would wake up Saturday or Sunday mornings to find Stephanie and Cassandra curled up together on the couch. He always had to be extra careful on those days because both were incredibly light sleepers.

When Tim poked his head through the crack in the door, the sight of Stephanie’s devilish smile immediately greeted him. Her smile turned into a smirk as she watched him enter the apartment, then take a seat in the oversized chair well away from where she sat. The obvious movement of her eyes taking him in from top to bottom made Tim squirm in his seat with discomfort. He crossed his arms over the worn Gotham City University shirt and hid the fact the sweats he wore cover his feet, by tucking them under his butt.

“How was your night? I waited up for you, but I gave up after two.”

“Fine.”

Stephanie hummed knowingly under her breath and slid across the couch to be closer to him. “Any particular reason you’re wearing someone else's clothing?”

“I took a shower. I wasn't going to put dirty clothes back on. That's disgusting.”

“Why did you need to shower?”

“I worked out yesterday and didn’t get the chance to do it before I left because Dick let me sleep until we needed to leave.”

“How long did you run?”

“Don’t. I’m not in the mood for a lecture right now. I actually know I pushed myself too hard. I don’t need you to yell at me for it.”

“We just hate seeing you in pain and it’s frustrating when you do it to yourself.”

“You shouldn’t worry about me so much.” With a little sigh, Tim moved to the couch, so he could curl up against Stephanie’s side and extended his legs into a more comfortable position. “I can take care of myself. It’s like I’m an adult or something.”

“That’s debatable and I’m never going to stop worrying about you. It’s my job as your best friend, roommate, and sister you never asked for.”

“Between you and Dick, I’m always going to have someone watching over me and bugging me to watch my health.”

“Don’t expect an apology from either of us or for us to stop. It’s never going to happen.”

“I’d be worried if you did. I’d probably take it as a sign you’ve been replaced by a lookalike or something.”

“Such a weirdo. Want to spend the day binge watching Pushing Daisies and eating chocolate?”

“That sounds amazing. It’s like you read my mind!”

A little chuckle tickled the skin on the back of Tim’s neck and he refused to move from his spot against Stephanie’s side when she leaned forward to grab the remote. “You never really answered how things went and don’t tell me that fine is an acceptable answer. It’s not.”

“It was… nice? Comfortable? I don’t know. It was really strange at first. How are you even supposed to act the first time you have a conversation with someone you’ve been sharing dreams with your entire life? He knows things about me I can hardly talk about with you and I’m sure it’s the same for him.”

“And you still stayed over?”

“I may have fallen asleep while we were talking.”

“Really? That boring?”

“No. It just got late and I was comfortable and the next thing I know I’m waking up with Jason staring at me.”

“How cute! He watched you while you slept.”

“Shut up.” After giving Stephanie’s side a little pinch, Tim slid further down so his head was pillowed on her lap. “Jason was nice to talk to. He’s interesting and nice and funny. We just got to talking and I didn’t want to stop. It was relaxing.”

“What did you talk about?”

“Books, the dreams, our lives. I think we started playing twenty questions at one point to get to know each other better, but if it happened it must have been right before I fell asleep, because I can’t remember whether we actually did that or not.”

“Sounds nice. When are you going to see him again?”

“I don’t know. We didn’t really get a chance to talk about it this morning. I woke up, then he invited me to breakfast with his friends and I took a shower before we went. After that, he took a shower and we didn’t get much of a chance to talk during breakfast because his friends wanted to talk to me and he had to open the shop, so we didn’t get to talk after either. I have his number. I can text him later.”

“Why not text him now? Sounds like you had a lot of fun together. You should make plans with him before he gets busy.”

“Won’t that seem a little pushy or whatever?”

An exaggerated groan was the only warning Tim got before Stephanie gave him a flick against the middle of his forehead. “Since when do you care about stuff like that? If you want to text him, then text him. Do you really think Jason will care?”

“No.”

“Exactly. I bet he’ll be happy to hear from you because it means late night went well and you don’t think he’s a gigantic dork or something.”

“He’s definitely a gigantic dork.”

“But you like that about him, right? I knew you would. I told you the two of you would get along great!”

“I know you did. I didn’t argue with you.”

“I’m just making sure you remember who you have to thank for meeting him.”

“I get it. Thank you for taking Cass’s advice to stop by his shop for my birthday gift and telling me I should stop by to see if they had anything else I might want.”

“You’re an ungrateful brat.” Tim let out a sharp hiss in response to the harsh tug of his hair. “One of these days I’m going to get you back for it.”

“Can’t wait to see you try.”

“It’s on now, rich boy!”

* * *

 

_“Shit!” His hand reached out to grab the staircase railing, but his fingers slipped across it and he continued his path through the air. Before he hit the ground, someone grabbed him around the waist and pulled him back onto his unsteady feet. “Thanks.”_

_“No problem. Not to be a bitch, but I’m pretty sure you’re not supposed to use those on stairs. They’re not really made to go up and down them.”_

_“You’re not the first person to tell me that.”_

_“Maybe next time you’ll listen.”_

_“What’s that phrase about old dogs and new tricks?”_

_The girl let out a sarcastic laugh as she helped him make his way down the stairs without ending up flat on his face. “Aren’t you a funny one? Will it be straight to comedy school after you graduate?”_

_“Is that a thing? Wouldn’t that just be acting school?”_

_“I don’t know. You’re the comedic genius. You tell me.”_

_“Guess we’ll never know. I’ll be going straight into the family business after high school, so I haven’t bothered to look into comedy school or acting school or whatever you call it.”_

_“What a shame. The world won’t know what it’s missing out on.”_

_“At least you’re one of the few that isn’t.” Tim let out a heavy sigh at the sight of the door to his English class, then turned to look at the blonde standing next to him. “Thanks for not letting me roll all the way down those stairs. A lot of people would have pulled out their phones and put it up on YouTube for the hits.”_

_“That’s because most people are gigantic assholes.”_

_“And you’re not?”_

_“Depends on whether I like you or not.”_

_“Have you decided whether you like me or not?”_

_“Nope, but I’ll make up my mind on you eventually.”_

_“What if we never see each other again?”_

_A small smirk appeared on the girl’s face and she took a step closer to Tim, so the inch she had on him was a little more obvious. “Nice try, rich boy. It’s too late now. I saved you from a lifetime of ridicule. You’re not getting rid of me that easily. I know part of your schedule now. I could just stop by this class to see you.”_

_“I’m not sure if I should be terrified or not. Is that a threat or…”_

_“What? You’ve never had a friend before?”_

_“Even if I did, I’m pretty sure that’s not how most people make friends. Don’t they just hang out and get to know each other? I don’t think they make comments that sound vaguely threatening.”_

_“Well, now you have one and no questioning my friend making techniques. It’s rude.”_

_“Can I at least know your name? Isn’t that something a friend would know?”_

_“I guess you’ve earned it. It’s Stephanie. Most people call me Steph. What about you?”_

_“Tim. Thanks again for saving me!”_

_“No problem. Now that we’re friends, I’ll be there to catch you again if you need it. That’s what friends do.”_

_Instead of going into the classroom, Tim watched the girl’s blonde hair swinging wildly behind her as she weaved her way through the crowd of students filling the hallway. Before she disappeared around the corner, she glanced back in Tim’s direction and gave him a little wave when she saw him looking. He jerkily returned the wave and tried not to smile too wide at the thought of now having someone he could consider a friend. It was entirely possible he would never see Stephanie again, but there was something about her that jumped out at him and made him want to get to know her better. With no other reason to stand there, Tim limped his way into the classroom and took his place in the front row._

* * *

 

“Have a great day!” The little boy clinging to his mother’s hand gave Jason a cheery smile and an enthusiastic wave as his mother guided him out of the store. “Nice meeting you, Nate. Make sure you read all those books or we won’t be able to talk about them next time.”

“If only you could talk to adults that easily, then you might have more than two friends to keep you company.”

“Can it, Roy. Nobody asked you. Also, it’s three, possibly fours, friends now so joke’s on you.”

“Oh, yeah. Really sick burn. Have you heard from him?”

“Not yet, but it hasn’t even been a day since we last saw each other. He’s probably busy or something. It’s not a big deal. I’m sure he’ll get in touch when he has time.”

“Or you could text him first.”

“Maybe later. I’m working right now.”

With an overexaggerated turn of his head, Roy looked around the shop a few times, then turned back to Jason. “Really busy. All these customers will leave because you’re not paying attention to all three of them sitting in the corner reading. They’ll be absolutely furious.”

“I get it. You’ve made your point.”

“So, text him.”

“Later. I’ll text him later.”

“Why are you avoiding? You got along really well at breakfast and he even stayed the night at your place because you couldn’t stop talking. Don’t you want to talk to him again? You’ve known him your whole life without ever meeting him and now you actually get to talk to him and you’re not. Why?”

“Relationships aren’t easy for me. Most of my life, they’ve fallen apart. You and Kori are the exceptions. It’s hard to imagine him being another. You only get lucky so many times before it all runs out.”

“I think you’re underestimating yourself.” A hand landed on Jason’s shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze. “The kids love and adore you. Their parents act like you’re their savior because you’re always willing to help out. There are plenty of relationships you’ve got that aren’t failures. Hell, Lian loves her Uncle Jay. It’s not just two of us. People love you, Jay. I’m sure this guy won’t be the exception. He’ll love you, too.”

“Since when do you give motivational speeches?”

“It’s part of the dad job description.”

“Well, you can check the box that says you have that skill.”

“One less thing to worry about being bad at. Now, text him.”

“And say what? Hey, it’s Jason. How are you today?”

Roy wrinkled his eyebrows together and leaned over to swipe the phone out of Jason’s hands. “How old are you? Forty? There’s no need to be so formal. Let’s see. Hey. Had fun yesterday. We should hang out against soon.”

“Don’t even think about sending that.”

“Too late. Already done. You should go to the event thing they’re doing at the part this weekend. Lian’s performing in one of the dance groups. She’d love for you to be there.”

“You know I would if I could, but I have to work. Just like every other weekend.”

“Kori and I are only staying open until one. You could do the same.” Roy jutted his lip out in a pathetic pout that had Jason cringing as far away from him as possible while trapped behind the counter. “Come on, Jay! It’s one Saturday, not even the whole day.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“How about a little deal. If Tim agrees to go, then you do it. If not, you don’t have to.”

“What makes you think he’ll agree.”

“Just a hunch.” A shit eating grin appeared on Roy’s face and he held out a hand. “Do we have a deal?”

“I’m going to regret doing this, but fine. We have a deal. I’ll go if Tim agrees.”

“Great! Let me know when Tim says yes.”

“You’re a cocky son of a bitch, Harper.”

“That’s my middle name. Don’t forget it!”

After making sure not to give Roy the satisfaction of getting a laugh at his ridiculous joke, Jason sent him a deadpan expression and a little eye roll. “I don’t think you have to worry about that. I’ll always remember it.”

“It’s time for me to head out. Lunch break over and whatever. Get back to work, slacker! What do they even pay you for?”

“It’s a real mystery.”

* * *

 

A bright screen appeared inches away from his eyes, leaving him blinking furiously and batting the thing away from his face. When the thing disappeared from his view, he turned his attention to smacking the grinning blond standing just out of his reach. Before giving up, he sent a few more swings her way for good measure and let out an annoyed hiss to make sure his displeasure was well known. An evil laugh left Stephanie’s mouth as she moved to pick up her phone, then dropped onto the couch next to him.

“You’re lucky you didn’t break it. You’d be buying me a new one if you did.”

After grumbling angrily under his breath, Tim accepted the phone from her. “You’re the lucky one. I was almost asleep. What’s so important you had to wake me up?”

“Stop being so dramatic. I got a notification you were mentioned in an article in the Gotham Gazette. You’ll never guess who wrote an article about a rumor going around that Drake Industries and Wayne Enterprises is merging into one company. It’s not completely terrible this time. She actually made you seem like a flawless golden boy.”

“She already put out an article? That’s a lot quicker than I was expecting. She normally takes more time to do research and bug people for info.”

“I think she managed to bug all the people she wanted info from.”

“Bruce?”

“And Lucius Fox. From what she wrote, they must have gone on and on about how amazing and smart and talented you are in everything you do.” Stephanie batted her eyelashes dramatically and pressed her hand against her forehead like she was swooning.

“I hate you.”

“Rude. I bring you important information and this is how you thank me? By telling me, you hate me. How fucking rude.”

“Whatever. I’ll read the article later. Was there anything else or can I go back to my nap?”

“One other thing. It’ll only take a second, then you can go back to napping like an old man.” The look on Stephanie’s face sent a spark of suspicion running through Tim. “Jason messaged you.”

“And you used your knowledge of my phone password to invade my privacy?”

“He wants to hand out again. What are you going to tell him? Sweep me off my feet, you gorgeous man!”

“You’ve been reading too many romance novels.”

“Is that a no or a maybe?”

Tim rolled his eyes at Stephanie, then held out his hand for his phone he knew Stephanie would still have on her. “That’s a no. I’ll have to look at my schedule to find a time we could meet. I’ve got a few important meetings this week and I think there’s a gala at some point for a charity.”

“Didn’t you agree to see his friend’s daughter perform? I bet he’s going. Offer to meet him there.”

“That’s not the worst idea you’ve had, but I don’t know. He’ll probably want to spend time with his friends after it and I don’t think we’ll be able to talk much at something like that.”

“So? You can just spend time in each other’s company and have fun. Maybe he can win you a prize that you can cherish for the rest of your life! It’ll be so romantic in a family sort of way.”

“What does that even mean? A family sort of way.”

“You know.”

“No. I wouldn’t ask if I knew.”

“Shut up.” Pain erupted on his arm when Stephanie threw a punch at his arm to make him stop talking. “I mean, it’ll be less stressful or whatever because it’s more of a family event, so things will be more relaxed and there won’t be that lingering question about where things are going. It’ll just be a fun afternoon.”

“You’re talking like it would be a date. It would just be two people spending time together. That’s it. We’ve barely spoken to each other. I’m not even sure you could call us friends.”

“Staying up so late talking you ended up passed out on his couch doesn’t make the two of you friends? I’m pretty sure it does, but I know you have weird ideas about friendship.”

“Are you going to keep bringing that up?”

“Until the point gets across.”

“I already admitted we get along great and I enjoyed spending time with him, but that doesn’t make us instant friends. We still have a lot to talk about and so much we don’t know about each other. It’ll take time. We’re both busy, which is fine. We’ll get there at some point.”

Stephanie crossed her arms over her chest with a huff and dropped her head back onto the couch cushion. “But I’m impatient. I want to get to say I told you so before I turn thirty.”

“Told me what? You already said I told you so. Multiple times. I started to think that’s the only thing you could say.”

“The two of you are going to date, then get married and adopt a few hundred kids. It’s going to happen and I’ll be there to say I told you so. I’ll even make sure it makes it into the speech I’ll give at your wedding and in every story I tell your kids.”

“Are you sure being a wellness coordinator is the right job for you? I think you’re missing your true calling. Fantasy writer. Stephanie Brown is a great writer name. It’ll look great on the cover of a book.”

“I can do that in my spare time, when I’m not telling you I told you so.”

“You’re ridiculous and I’m going back to my nap now. This conversation isn’t going anywhere and I think my eyelids are made of lead. Wake me up if something important happens, not to say I told you so for the millionth time.”

“Don’t worry.” The fake innocence in Stephanie’s tone would have worried Tim if he weren’t used to all the stunts she pulled after she spoke that way. “I’ll find other ways to make sure you never forget it.”

“Have fun with that.”

* * *

 

_All he could see was red._

_It dripped down the walls and pooled on the floor. It spread across the room, inching closer and closer to him. He wanted to move. He wanted to get out of this place, but his muscles refused to move. All he could do was watch the red creep toward him._

_A cackling laugh filled the room and made Jason wish the red would come quicker and drown him before the laughter could reach him. He knew who it belonged to. Everyone knew who it belonged to. It lived in the darkness of Gotham and preyed on anyone that got close enough for it to consume. People run from it. People hide from it. People fear it._

_The moment he started living on the streets, people warned him of the laughter that would kill him if he gave it the chance. No one told him about the person. About the thing that laughed, but they warned him to stay away. To get out before it could get him. They didn’t tell him of the white face and the painted-on smile. A smile the same shade of red as the red covering the room. They didn’t mention the terrifying grin and singsongy voice._

_“Looks like I trapped a little rat in a cage. It would have been more, but you had to play the hero. Didn’t anyone ever tell you the secret? Nothing good ever happens to the heroes. They’re always too busy putting their life on the line for others to be happy. People never tell you that’s the real secret to happiness. You’ve got to be selfish.”_

_The man did a little skip every few steps and tapped his crowbar sporadically against the wall as he made his way across the room. When he stood over him, he let the crowbar drop to the ground and clicked his heels together. He let out another loud laugh, tossing his head back and slamming the crowbar down as he did so._

_“Isn’t it funny? Everyone thinks being the hero is the way to have a good life. They think being a hero will make them happy, but we know the truth. Don’t we? It’s a shame you won’t be able to teach anyone the way I have. You’re the only entertainment I have tonight! I was hoping for a little more, but you’ll have to do. I’ll make it work. I can… stretch things out. We’ll have lots of fun together. You’ll end the night with a smile on your face.”_

_The first blow stung fiercely. The second caused his bones to give way under the force. The third filled his mouth with copper and cleared his lungs of air. The fourth called the darkness and the fifth invited it to collect him._

_His mind drifted along, so the blows began to weave together. It all became a constant stream of pain erupting against him. Erupting within him. The darkness drew closer to him, like the red in the room. It began to wrap him up in its loving embrace, when something changed._

_The pain stayed, but the blows disappeared. The endless laughter paused for a second, then it started up again. It steady grew louder and more hysterical. Other sounds filled the room, fitting into the spaces the laughter couldn’t go. It made no sense to him. The noises weren’t laughter. They didn’t belong in the room._

_A room for solitary laughter._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! The next chapter will be up Wednesday of next week. All kudos and comments are greatly appreciated. You can find me on Tumblr ([SociallyAwkwardFoxWriter](http://sociallyawkwardfoxwriter.tumblr.com/)) and ask questions, stay up-to-date on what I'm working on, or anything else Tumblr related. Until next week!


	7. Chapter 7

“I need those reports on my desk by tomorrow afternoon. LexCorp needs those numbers, so they can complete their part of the research. I don’t want to hear any more excuses. You’ve been given all the money and resources you need to complete this research in the allotted time frame. Those numbers have to be on my desk tomorrow. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Excellent.” After taking a quick sip of coffee and rubbing at his temples, Tim switched to another file and glanced over it again. “Are you still at a standstill with the water filtration project?”

“Yes. We’re not getting the results we want and with Lloyd out on maternity leave we don’t have a specialist in the field to figure out where we’re going wrong.”

“Set it aside until she returns. There’s no point wasting resources or time on it while she’s out. Focus on the research for LexCorp, then start looking at the three proposals we got from S.T.A.R. Lab. Let me know when you’ve made your decision on them.”

“Yes, sir.”

“We’ll speak again in a few weeks when LexCorp gets back to me with the results on their end of the research. Keep in mind we might have to do another round of trials before the research can be completed.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll be sure to make planning flexible for the next couple of months.”

A soft knock filtered through the wood of his door, then it cracked open slightly to revel his secretary looking vaguely uncomfortable. “Make sure you do. I’ll email you when I have a tentative completion date from LexCorp, then we can set up a time and date for our next meeting. Now, I need to get going. Something else has come to my attention. I look forward to seeing the results.”

“Of course, sir. Have a good day.”

“You, too.” After hanging up the phone, Tim turned to give his secretary his full attention. “Can I help you with something.”

“Mr. Wayne is here to see you. He says it’s urgent. Would you like me to send him in?”

“That would be great. Can you let Mrs. Kane know I may be a little late to our luncheon because of her cousin?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Thank you.”

When the door clicked shut behind his secretary, Tim let out a heavy sigh and stood so he could smooth out the creases in his suit. The pain that had been steadily growing in his leg all morning gave an annoying twinge to remind him it wouldn’t be going away anytime soon. He pressed his knuckles firmly against his hip several times and swallowed down a couple of pain pills he kept stashed in his desk. Just as he closed his desk drawer, the door to his office opened and Bruce strode confidently into the room.

“Good morning, Tim. You’re looking better.”

“Morning. Thank you. I’m feeling much better. What’s the urgent thing you needed to discuss with me?”

“Did you read Vale’s article?”

“Yes.”

A little hum left Bruce’s mouth as he crossed the room and took a seat in the chair in front of Tim’s desk. “We’ll need to move forward with our plans now our intentions have been made public. When is your next board meeting?”

“Next week, but I can call a meeting for Thursday or Friday. The problem is they might not be willing to show up. I’m only supposed to do that for emergency situations.”

“Next week is fine. It’ll give us time to put the final touches on the proposal and give them a little time to sweat.”

“Time to sweat?”

“One of them must have tipped Vale off to our plans. They were hoping to catch us off guard, but they haven’t. If you called a meeting right away, it would make it seem like they’ve made you nervous and they know that can lead to mistakes. Sticking to meeting next week allows us to still move fairly quickly and them to worry over whether they made a mistake by going to Vale.”

“I see what you mean, but we could have discussed that over the phone. Why did you come here?”

“I can never get a thing past you.” Bruce let out a low chuckle and moved the chair a little closer to Tim’s desk. “There is something else I wanted to speak with you about and I thought it would be better to talk in person. Dick mentioned at dinner the other night that you found the person you’ve been sharing dreams with. I wanted to hear about it from you.”

“Oh, I…”

“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to, but I wanted you to know I’m willing to listen. I know how much the dreams used to bother you. I imagine finding them was an emotional experience.”

“A little, but Jason was really nice and understanding.”

“His name’s Jason?”

With a little nod, Tim sat further back in his chair and messed absentmindedly with the phone in his pocket. “Jason Todd. He owns a bookstore on Scarlet Avenue.”

“Outlaws’ Books? I’ve heard of it. Damian and Colin meet there and Cass has mentioned it a few times. I haven’t had a chance to visit myself. I’ll have to find the time.”

“It’s nice and cozy.”

“Have the two of you had a chance to talk about things?”

“We talked a bit on Friday. There’s just so much to talk about.”

“There’s no need to rush it. Take your time and get to know each other at the same time. You only know bits and pieces of each other. Learn the whole and who you are together.”

“I know I should be patient because getting everything all at once is overwhelming, but some of these questions I’ve had for years and I want to know the answer.”

A hearty laugh rumbled out of Bruce’s chest and he shook his head fondly at Tim. “They’ll come in time. Just give it a chance. When are you meeting him again?”

“This Saturday. I told his friend I’d come see his daughter preform her dance and we decided to meet up there and spend some time together afterwards.”

“Well, have fun this weekend. I’ll make sure everything is prepared for next week.”

“You don’t need to do that. I’m sure you have things to do. I can still-”

“Tim, you’ve done plenty already. Go out, have fun, and get to know Jason. That’s an order.”

“Yes, sir.”

* * *

 

Jason placed the last new arrival on the shelves, then went back to his place behind the counter to finish up the bills for the month. The day had been slower than normal because of the rain pouring down outside, but it gave him the perfect opportunity to get work done he’d normally have to do after hours. Most of the work that’d been piling up on him because of lack of sleep was steadily getting checked off his to do list. All the stress that had been weighing him down was slowly lifting and being replaced by an unexpected excitement for the weekend.

After Tim suggested meeting him at Lian’s performance and spending the afternoon together, Jason had felt apprehensive and uncertain. Tim seemed like a nice guy, but Jason still wasn’t sure whatever relationship they were supposed to have would work out. Fate or destiny or whatever gave them the dreams might have brought them together, that didn’t mean it could keep them together. Whatever greater purpose they were supposed to have together, might not end with the two of them continuing to speak. People rarely stuck around Jason, especially people like Tim. Successful, intelligent, quick witted. Those kinds of people walk right through Jason’s life, sometimes stepping all over it before they went off to better things.

For some reason, today he felt differently about what the weekend could mean for the two of them. He felt almost hopeful that things would go well and their relationship would become something deeper and more meaningful. It was a strange positivity he wasn’t used to having about things, but he didn’t want the feeling to go away. If he was honest with himself, he really wanted things between the two of them to work out. Talking to Tim had been easy and relaxing. The other man was interesting to watch. His eyes would light up when he talked about things that excited him and he would tip his head to the side when confused.

Not to mention, the way he fit perfectly into the corner of Jason’s couch and found home in the books on Jason’s shelves. When he saw Tim curled up with a book on his couch, something inside him had stirred to life and remained in the background of his mind and body for the rest of the night. The chaos of waking up in the morning and having breakfast with Kori and Roy had driven the sensation from his mind, but now that he had time to think about that night he could remember it clearly. He had no idea what to call it. All he knew was he wanted to feel it again. The warmth and rightness.

The sound of the shop door opening pulled him from his thoughts and away from the work he had completely forgotten about. A man dressed in a police uniform walked into the shop, leaving a trail of water behind him that Jason would have to mop up. His blue eyes surveyed the shop for a second, then he turned his attention to Jason with a bright smile. He practically skipped over to the counter and leaned against it. He dropped his elbows down, so he could plop his chin into his hands and gave Jason an even wider smile.

“You’re Jason.”

Jason raised an eyebrow as he moved the bills away from the other man to avoid them getting soaked by the water dripping off his face and arms. “Yeah and you are?”

“Dick Grayson! You know my younger brother and my other younger brother and my younger sister and my fiancé. I thought it was about time we met!”

“Who exactly do I know?”

“I think the first one you met was Damian, then you met Cass because Damian told her about the store and she loves to read. She told Stephanie, who told my brother Tim and you know my fiancé because she’s the professor you met that gave you information about people that share dreams.”

“Oh, Tim told me about you.” The man’s eyes lit up and he leaned a little further over the counter, so Jason had to back up to get his personal space back. “It’s nice to meet you. I guess.”

“I heard you’re going out with Tim this weekend.”

“Did Stephanie tell you that?”

“Maybe, but that’s not what I’m here to talk to you about. Tim told me a lot of the dreams he shared with you. I know he didn’t tell me all of them, but he told me most of them. Things haven’t been easy for you, just like they haven’t been easy for him. I think you’ll be able to help each other out a lot. There are things Tim can’t talk to the rest of us about because we can’t understand the kinds of things he’s been though. The two of you have a lot in common.”

“Not to sound rude, but do you have a point?”

“I want both of you to be happy and I think you could be really happy together. You both deserve it after everything that life has thrown at you. There’s just something I need to ask before you both get in too deep. Tim doesn’t do things halfway. He’s a pretty all or nothing kind of guy. He throws all of himself into things and it’s burned him in the past. So, I need to know if this is a temporary thing for you or if you’re going to want to stay in his life.”

“Wish I would have known I was getting the protective big brother talk today. I would have prepared myself better.”

That got a little laugh out of the other man. “Sorry. It was kind of spur of the moment. Next time, I’ll pull your number and give you a quick text the night before.”

“Or I could give you my number now, so you texting me doesn’t seem so creepy.”

“I suppose we could exchange numbers. You are part of the family now”

“Does this mean I have to come to family dinners and reunions and meet the parents and all that stuff?”

“You don’t have to, but I’m sure everyone would love to meet you and not as the friendly neighbourhood shop owner. We try to get together once a month for dinner, but we’ve already done it once this month for Tim’s birthday. You could come with Tim to the one we’ll have next month! If you’re not busy, of course.”

“I’ll talk to Tim about it.”

“Fantastic! I can’t wait to get to know you better. You’re going to fit in great.”

* * *

 

“I’m home!” The door slammed shut behind him, not that it mattered considering they were the only ones living on the floor and the people below them were rarely home. “Hey, Cass. Is Steph here?”

“No.”

“How was work?”

“Fine. You?”

“A little stressful, not too bad though. I’ve had worse. Do you and Steph have plans for tonight or did you just decide to drop by?”

Cass took her eyes off the television for a split second to spare him a brief glance, then went right back to watching the movie. “We’re dating.”

“Cool. Are you staying for dinner?”

“What’s for dinner?”

“Don’t know. I’ve been wanting Chinese food. Does that work for you? We can order from whatever place you want.”

“I’ll stay.”

“All right. I’m going to change real quick. Knock on my door if you need anything.”

Instead of answering verbally, Cass gave a wave of her hand in acknowledgement that Tim returned as he slipped into his room. He shed his suit jacket, his slacks, and tie on his way to the closet and looked for something comfortable to wear. Even with a full closet, none of the clothes he saw were what he was looking to wear. In the back of his mind, he knew exactly what he’d been intending to put on since he left work.

He grabbed the baggy shirt and sweats he borrowed from Jason out of the string bag he put them in and pulled them on. The pants had to be rolled up several times to keep him from tripping over them and he adjusted the collar to not be falling off his shoulder. For a moment, he considered putting on Dick’s hoodie as well, but decided against it because he knew he’d end up taking it on and off all night. With comfortable clothes now on, he went back out into the living room and took a seat next to Cass on the couch.

“Jason?”

“Who told you?” The look Cass gave him told him everything he needed to know and he let out a little sigh at the confirmation. “Why does everyone in this family gossip?”

“There’s nothing else to do.”

“You work two jobs and go to school in the fall and spring. Dick has a full-time job and Steph took classes this summer. When do you have time to gossip?”

“I’m a bartender and fitness instructor.”

“Fair point. What did you want to know about Jason?”

Cass shrugged noncommittally. “Whatever.”

“Bruce came to my office today to talk about Jason. He wanted to make sure I knew I could talk to him about anything.”

“Not surprising.”

“Everyone wants to know about Jason, but I barely know anything about Jason. We just met last week. We’ve only talked for a little while. There’s so much I don’t know about him and that he doesn’t know about me.”

“Are those his clothes?”

“Steph told you I fell asleep at his place.”

“Yes.”

“They’re comfortable.” He pulled at the hem of the shirt, then let it fall back down. “He’s a giant. He’s probably the same height as Bruce and just as big.”

“Smart?”

“Very. He likes to read a lot of classic literature and knows a lot of useless facts about random things.”

“Nice?”

“You know he is. He takes care of kids and loves the community and doesn’t freak out when people have a panic attack right in front of him. He just helped me through it and wasn’t overbearing afterwards.”

“Nice guy. Smart guy. Big guy.”

“Seriously? Did Steph tell you to say something?”

“No. It’s obvious.”

With an aggravated sigh, Tim pulled at his hair and fell dramatically to the side so his head rested next to her thigh. “No, it’s not. It’s not obvious because things are still confusing and I don’t even know what I’m doing half the time! What are Jason and I even supposed to be? Sure, we share dreams, but what more is supposed to come from that? We have a lot in common. We’re both business owners, like books, and other stuff. Is that supposed to mean something or is whatever we’re supposed to do something completely different? What’s the purpose of it all?”

“I don’t know.”

“I don’t know either. I don’t know anything. It’s all a confusing mess and I hate it. My head’s trying to make sense of everything, while my heart’s trying to feel everything and it’s all becoming a jumbled mess. We’re meeting again on Saturday.”

“Piece by piece.”

“Like a puzzle. Piece by piece.”

“Exactly.”

“You’re right.” Tim searched through his pockets for his phone and held it out for Cass to take. “I’m starving. Pick where we’re ordering from, so I can get food.”

“This one.”

“Awesome. Same thing as normal?”

“Yes.”

“And Steph will want orange chicken like always and I’m ordering extra eggrolls because you eat mine if I don’t. Food.”

“Food.”

* * *

 

_He struggled to get away from the men attempting to pin him down to the hospital bed. Every time he moved, pain rippled through his chest and his legs felt like they were on fire. With all his might, he pushed and shoved and punched at the two men. One caught a right hook across the jaw, while the other got a punch right in the throat. Both fell backwards at the unexpected punches, then immediately returned with more determination than before to pin him to the bed._

_They were just beginning to gain the upper hand, when the door to the room flew open and his doctor and aunt walked. The men immediately backed off as they turned to look at the two people now in the room. His doctor looked at the leg braces on the floor, then sent a pointed looked at the two men. At the same time, they bent their heads down with their angry obvious by the stiff set of their shoulders._

_“We can take this from here, gentlemen.” The two left the room, giving the doctor space to stand directly in front of him. “I know this is difficult, but you’ll never get any better if you continue to resist the treatments. Fighting us at every turn will only make things more difficult for you in the long run. You need to put these braces on.”_

_“No.”_

_“You have to let us help you.”_

_“No. It hurts. I don’t like it. It hurts.”_

_“It’s part of the process. I’ve explained this to you before. It’s a miracle the damage done to your right leg is even healing as well as it is. Most people with this type of injury wouldn’t have the chance to walk on that leg again. Your left leg might not be that bad, but it’s still going to be a painful process to get back to walking. If you don’t begin now, it’ll only become increasingly difficult to do so.”_

_“It hurts. I don’t want them on.”_

_His doctor let out a heavy sigh and gave his aunt a look he clearly thought he wouldn’t be able to decipher, but he knew exactly what the old man was thinking. “I’ve got a few patients I need to check on. I’ll be back in about an hour. Hopefully, you’ll change your mind about the braces by then and we can take you to the physical therapy wing.”_

_“Not going to.”_

_A dark expression flitted across the man’s face for a brief second, then it returned to the composed expression he typically wore. The smile he gave him might have been meant to seem reassuring or kind, but it sent a shiver down his spine instead. The doctor picked the two braces off the ground and set them deliberately next to him on the bed, before slowly heading toward the door. When the doctor finally left the room, he relaxed an infinitesimal amount and waited for his aunt to say something._

_“What are you thinking?” Heels clicking against tile grated on his nerves, but he knew better than to say anything about the headache it would inevitably give him. “Dr. Payne is the finest doctor in the country. He gets to decide who he wants his patients to be and you’re acting like a petulant child. You’ll be useless for the rest of your life if you keep this up. You think you’ll be able to run a business like this. People wouldn’t want to do business with someone as pathetic and weak as you. Put the braces on and deal with the pain. You heard what the doctor said. It’s the only way things will change.”_

_“No. I won’t.”_

_“This isn’t a choice. You’ll put those braces on today and go to physical therapy like the doctor told you to.”_

_“I want to see Bruce.”_

_“Don’t call him that. His name is Mr. Wayne and you don’t need to bother him with your childishness. He has better things to do than listen to you whine about being in pain.”_

_“He said I could-”_

_His aunt cut him off by grabbing his jaw firmly between her fingers and hissing angrily at him. “Talk back to me one more time and you’ll regret it. If I say Mr. Wayne doesn’t have time to talk with you, then he doesn’t have time to talk with you. Stop asking about him and put those braces on.”_

_“No! I’m not doing it!”_

_“You will do it because I tell you too. I’m your guardian now, so you’ll do as I say! Put those braces on and get ready for physical therapy!”_

_“No! It hurts and I won’t do it! I won’t!”_

_“You ungrateful, little brat!”_

_“No, no, no, no, no! It hurts! I won’t do it! It hurts! It hurts!”_

* * *

 

Jason shot straight up in bed and gripped the sheets on either side of him tightly in his balled-up fists. He sucked in several deep breaths to calm back down, then glanced over at the phone sitting on his bedside table. The panic and fear and anxiety Tim felt in the dream hadn’t gone away when he woke up and he guessed Tim still felt it as well. Part of him wanted to reach the few feet over to grab his phone, while another fought viciously against the idea. There were so many things that could go wrong if he called Tim right now.

Eventually, he forced himself to turn away from his phone and got out of the room before he could change his mind. He clicked on a couple of lamps on his way to the window seat, then dropped exhaustedly onto the plush cushion. There were so many questions running through his head, but none of them could be answered by anyone other than Tim. The few dreams he had seen involving Tim’s aunt, all painted her to be neglectful and almost non-existent in Tim’s life. The way she appeared in that dream wasn’t something Jason had ever seen.

“Damn!” A sharp throb made Jason regret his decision to let his head fall against the wall behind him. “Fuck!”

He rubbed at the sore spot on the back of his head and let out a heavy sigh as he looked out the window for a distraction. Even at four in the morning, the streets in Gotham were never completely empty if you looked close enough. A shadowy figure was leaning against the building across the street, until they jerked forward suddenly. When they straightened back up, their body swayed from one side to the other a few times, then they stumbled their way down the street. Whoever owned the store, would have fun dealing with that in the morning.

Not wanting to risk seeing yet another drunkard throw up all over the sidewalk, Jason returned to his room to change into running clothes. He purposefully kept his eyes off the nightstand and left the room as soon as he possibly could. Without bothering to untie his shoes, Jason pulled them both on and headed out of his apartment. The stairs creaked under his feet, until he landed on the sidewalk and all the noise fell away.

All he could hear was the sound of his breathing slowly becoming more labored and his heart pounding in his chest. The sky shifted for almost pitch black to dark blue to orange and red as the sun began to rise. In the city, it wasn’t easy to see the sun rising over the horizon, but Jason loved the way the light hit the glass on buildings and bounced off. There was a beauty in it most people never saw because they were sleeping, too exhausted to appreciate it, or busy with other things.

When he reached the city park, he slowed to a walk and enjoyed the last moments of dawn. The water spurting out of the fountain turned into a rainbow of colors and painted the ground around it. His mind drifted to the odd dream he had the night before Tim walked into his shop and recognized him. The place he stood now was almost the exact spot he had seen Tim standing right before he fell into nothingness.

If he had been a little faster or Tim had turned a little sooner, the dream may have ended differently than it did. Maybe it would have ended like this. The two of them standing side by side as they watched the sun rise over the city and bath them in light.

* * *

 

“Did you make sure to pack sunscreen?”

“Yes, mom.” Tim placed a frozen water bottle in his string bag, then tightened the strings and put the bag on. “Want to go through my things and make sure I have everything?”

“No. You have to grow up someday. Soon you’ll leave the nest and you won’t have me to help you. What will you do then?”

“Spend more time in my underwear.”

“Because Jason stripped all your other clothes off and ravaged you so thoroughly you couldn’t focus long enough to put on anything more than underwear?”

“Why are you like this?”

Despite the fact he wasn’t looking at her, he knew Stephanie shrugged at him in response. “Are you going to ask him out to dinner?”

“I don’t know how much time we’re going to get together. I might be home in an hour or two.”

“Jason will want to spend more than a few hours with you. You’ll watch the performance, then spend the rest of the afternoon having fun and getting to know each other.”

“Get your positivity away from me. I’m allergic. You should know that by now.”

Stephanie rolled her eyes at him and tossed a pillow in his direction that missed by nearly a foot to the left. “You’re not allergic to it. You just refuse to have it or listen to anyone that says something remotely positive to you. One of these days you’ll learn to have it and you won’t be so stressed out all the time.”

“I think you’re making that up. If there’s one thing I can say with absolute certainty, it’s that adulthood is ninety percent stress. I’m pretty sure there’s nothing you can do to make that ninety percent go down. I’ve tried almost everything and absolutely nothing works.”

“One of these days we’re going to find you something that’ll take you down to at least fifty percent for a few hours. All this stress you carry around with you all the time isn’t good for you.”

“I know that, but there’s nothing I can do about it. There’s always something.”

“Not today! Today there’s nothing to stress about. It doesn’t matter what’s going on at work or anything else that’s been on your mind. All you need to think about is spending time with Jason and having a fun time at whatever it is you’re going to! There’s no board members or deadlines or anything else. It’s just you and Jason. Nothing to stress about.”

“Jason is stressful.” The look Stephanie gave him could have melted ice, but Tim wasn’t about to back down or take it back. “He is! There are so many expectations! I’ve heard Barbara’s spiels about people that share dreams and the great things they’re able to accomplish together. It’s intimidating to think about and if Jason and I don’t have a stable relationship, we’re not going to accomplish anything. It’s a lot of pressure on two people that barely know each other.”

“Stop thinking about that part of it. Yes, it’s important, but not right now. Like you said, the two of you barely know each other. Ignore all the responsibility that Barbara says comes with sharing dreams with someone and get to know each other. Find out who the two of you are together, before you worry about who you’re supposed to be to everyone else.”

“That’s… really good advice.”

“Don’t sound so surprised. It’s not the first time I’ve given you good advice. I’m full of it.”

“You’re definitely full of something. I agree with you a hundred percent on that statement.”

“Dick. Get going or you’re going to be late for your hot date.”

Tim groaned under his breath as he opened the apartment door and stepped into the hallway. “For the last time, it’s not a date. It’s just a friendly thing. Spending time together to get to know each other and whatever.”

“Whatever he says like it doesn’t mean anything.”

“I’m leaving now!”

“Have fun and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! The next chapter will be up Wednesday of next week. All kudos and comments are greatly appreciated. You can find me on Tumblr ([SociallyAwkwardFoxWriter](http://sociallyawkwardfoxwriter.tumblr.com/)) and ask questions, stay up-to-date on what I'm working on, or anything else Tumblr related. Until next week!


	8. Chapter 8

Jason shifted nervously from one foot to the other as he waited for Lian to finish listening to her dance instructor. The entire performance had been nerve-racking because of Tim’s silent presence at his side. The man had shown up just as they were about to start, so the only acknowledgement they got before it started were exchanged smiles. Afterwards, there was so much noise from all the parents talking excitedly, they couldn’t hear each other over all of it. Now, they were standing next to each other, while Roy waved wildly to get Lian’s attention.

When Lian finally reached them, she ran past her father and launched herself right at Jason’s knees without any fear. He stooped down to scoop her out of the air and tossed her into the air above his head in the same motion. She giggled loudly, then wrapped her arms around his neck on the way back down and smiled widely at him. Jason adjusted his hold on her tiny body, then bent his head down to press a loud kiss against the side of her head.

“You’re going to be too big for me to do this soon. You won’t even want to be seen with me! Big, scary Uncle Jay will just be an embarrassment.”

“No!” The grip on Jason’s neck tightened enough it might have choked Jason if Lian wasn’t so tiny compared to him. “Never ever! I love you!”

“I love you, too. Why don’t you go hug your pops? I think he’s about to cry because you like me better than your old man.”

“I do not! You’re both my favorite!”

“How can we both be your favorite? And what about Aunt Kori and your mom?”

“You can all be my favorites. My favorite daddy and mommy and uncle and aunt! See?”

“How could I be so silly?”

Lian giggled again as she pressed a quick kiss to Jason’s cheek, then started wiggling to get out of his arms. “Silly goose! Let me down, please.”

“Since you asked so nicely. Have fun with you dad, squirt. I’ll see you later.”

“You’re not staying?”

“Not today. You’re going to spend some time with daddy, mommy, and Aunt Kori and I’m going to spend time with my friend, but we’re all having dinner later.”

“You’ll be there?”

“Promise.”

Before Lian went to Roy, she stuck a pinky out to Jason with a fierce look on her face that turned into a smile after Jason wrapped his around it. When she reached Roy, she turned to give Jason a wave and squealed at Roy unexpectedly lifting her off the ground. Jason felt himself smiling at the happy scene and ignoring the desperate tugging in his heart for something similar. He turned away from the two to find Tim looking at him with an odd expression on his face that Jason couldn’t figure out.

“Where did you want to go first? I saw some interesting stalls that way.”

“Are you sure you want to spend the day with me? I completely understand if you’d rather spend the day with them.”

Jason placed a gentle hand on Tim’s back to guide him in the direction of the stall he saw earlier. “I want to spend time with you. That was the point of you coming out here today. I’m not going to ditch you.”

“If you’re sure.”

“I’m positive. Are you hungry because I’m starving?”

“I could eat.”

“Great! Food first, then we can do whatever you want to do.”

“You want me to pick?” The shock in Tim’s eyes pulled at Jason’s heart, but he tried not to think about why it was there. “I don’t know what there is to do.”

“We’ll find something fun.”

“I’m sure we will.”

* * *

 

“You’ve never been to an amusement park?”

Despite how hard he tried, Tim couldn’t fight back the small laugh that bubbled out of him because of the look on Jason’s face. “Never. There aren’t any in Gotham and when I visit my friends in San Francisco, we just hang out around the city and go to the beach. I’ve never had the chance.”

“Your parents never took you to one?”

“That wasn’t really their type of thing. They preferred going to plays and galas and things like that.”

“How boring.”

“Most of them were, but there was this one gala that ended up being a lot of fun. This guy spilt red wine all over my mom’s white dress because he was too drunk to stand straight, so we ended up leaving the party early. I thought we were going to go home like we always did, but my mom saw this little ice cream parlor and told my dad to stop. It was so much fun. It’s one of my favorite memories of them.”

“That sounds really nice.” The sad smile on Jason’s face made Tim feel a little bad about talking that way about his own parents when Jason never knew his father and his mother was cruel to him. “One of these days, I’m taking you to an amusement park. You have no idea what you’ve missed out on. Cotton candy, riding roller coasters, and puking up your guts.”

“Was that supposed to convince me to come with you?”

“I don’t care whether you agree to or not. You’re coming with me to an amusement park.”

“That sounds suspiciously like kidnapping. My brother’s a cop.”

“I know. He came to visit.”

Tim nearly spit out the sip of water he just drank and looked at Jason with wide eyes. “What do you mean he came to visit?”

“He showed up at the store to talk.”

“I can’t believe he did that. You should just ignore everything he said to you. Dick worries a lot about me, but he can be a little overbearing and protective. I’m sorry if he said anything that made you feel uncomfortable. He means well and he’s nice when you get to know him.”

“Don’t worry about it. He actually asked if I wanted to have dinner with your family next month. I told him I’d bring it up with you.”

“He did?”

Jason raised his eyebrows and tilted his head a little to the side. “You sound really surprised about that. I’m guessing it’s not normal for your brother to do things like that?”

“Family dinner is pretty special to all of us. We don’t really invite people to it until we’ve known them for a long time and they’ve gotten to know everyone. Steph’s first dinner with us was last year. It’s just a little weird that he’d invite you so soon after we met, but technically we have known each other for years.”

“If you don’t want me to come-”

“That’s not what I meant. I’d love for you to come. It’s just… things get a little embarrassing and Bruce will interrogate you and Dick will pester you with questions and Steph will laugh at your pain. Cass might be on your side or she might stare at you with the intensity of a thousand suns. It kind of depends how she’s feeling that day. I don’t even want to think about what Damian will do.”

“Probably be a little shit like always.” The little shrug Jason gave him had Tim shrugging in agreement. “You know, it’s only fair I meet your family. You’ve already met mine and I’m sure they grilled you while I was distracted.”

“Kori and Roy were both nice and didn’t do any grilling. They may have told me some embarrassing stories about you. It was really entertaining.”

“I love them, but sometimes I really hate them.”

“It was sweet.”

“I doubt that. All their stories of me are terrible.”

Before Tim responded, his eyes landed on a little stall full of gorgeous paintings not far from them and grabbed Jason’s arm to pull him over without thinking about it. “These are beautiful.”

“They are, but I’d probably appreciate them more if you weren’t cutting off the blood supply to my arm.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”

“It’s fine. Which one do you like?”

“I don’t know. They’re all so nice.”

“I have an idea.” To Tim’s surprise, Jason turned him around and guided Tim’s hands up to cover his own eyes. “No peeking. I’m going to pick one out for you. You’re not allowed to open it until you get home. Got it?”

“You don’t need to do that. I can-”

“It’ll be fun. You can pick one out for me, after I pick yours if you want. I’ll put it up in the shop or something.”

“All right. You pick me one and I’ll pick you one.”

“Deal. Remember, no peeking!”

* * *

 

Jason watched in fascination as Lian climbed into Tim’s lap to eat the piece of her pizza she put on his plate. The man easily accommodated for the girl in his lap by shifting his own pizza into one hand, so he could wrap his other around her waist. Despite the fact Tim had attempted to refuse Jason’s invitation, he fit in perfectly with them at dinner. Even Lian and Jade took a liking to him. something that rarely happened considering how cautious they normally were about new people. It took them several months to warm up to Kori, but Tim was being brought into their little group the same night they met him.

“Can I have a bite of yours?” Familiar puppy eyes that always made Jason cave were directed up at Tim. “Please?”

“If your mom or dad says it’s fine, then you can have a bite.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

 While Lian yelled down the table at her parents, Tim looked over at Jason and sent him a little wink that no one else could see. He began bouncing his knee up and down, so Lian bounced along with him-much to her enjoyment. It was a move Jason did all the time when she would sit on his lap while he read her a story or they watched cheesy movies together.

“You’re good with her.”

A spark appeared in Tim’s eyes and he looked down at the girl in his lap fondly. “I never had siblings growing up, but I always wanted one. It was lonely whenever my parents would leave on business trips and I thought having a sibling would make things better. Then everything happened and I started spending more time with Dick, Cass, and Damian and suddenly I did have siblings, but it was different because we were older and didn’t grow up together. I haven’t really spent time with kids. I didn’t have any friends when I was little.”

“It helps that they’re pretty easy to please. Some food, cartoons, and human interaction. Just make sure you don’t feed them after midnight.”

“They’re not gremlins.”

“That’s your inexperience with kids talking. Any experienced kid wrangler knows just how much like gremlins they are.”

“I guess I’ll have to take your word on it.” Tim sent him a sly smile and looked at Jason through his ridiculously long eyelashes. “For now.”

“So much faith in me. What have I done to deserve it?”

“Shared dreams with me my entire life.”

“Well, you didn’t have to answer so literally, but I guess that’s a pretty good reason to trust someone. Knowing all their deepest, darkest secrets and desires.”

“That and you have great taste in pizza.”

Something fluttered in Jason’s chest when Tim smiled brightly at him, then took a large bite out of the piece of pizza in his hand. “Pizza choice is pretty important. How can you trust someone that eats strange pizza?”

“You can’t.”

“Not at all.”

Before either of them could say anything else, Lian pulled Tim’s attention away from Jason and moved it back to her. He watched the two of them laughing and smiling at each other like they’d known each other for years. Warmth spread through him at the sight, but he didn’t want to think about what that meant. When he turned to look at the other three sitting at the table, they were all giving him a knowing look that he stuck his tongue out at in response.

* * *

 

The wind whipping past him caused goose bumps to appear on his skin and shivers to run down his spine. He tightened the hold he had around Jason’s waist to leech the warmth radiating off him and to feel a little safer. People in the movies always looked so comfortable when they took their first ride on a motorcycle, but Tim felt like he might fall off at any second. Based on how comfortable Jason looked, he’d been riding motorcycles for years and Tim trusted him more than Jason knew. That didn’t make the experience any less harrowing.

When Jason finally brought the motorcycle to a stop, Tim immediately stumbled off the still running motorcycle-nearly losing his balance in the process. After removing his helmet and turning off the motorcycle, Jason raised his eyebrows at him with his mouth awkwardly twisted. Tim shoved the helmet firmly into Jason’s chest, hoping it would cause the other man to at least be forced backwards a little. Of course, Jason’s massive body didn’t move an inch and Jason looked more amused than in discomfort.

“It’s not for everybody.”

“Don’t make fun of me.”

“I’m not.” Despite the huge smile on his face, the sincerity in Jason’s tone told Tim the other man wasn’t lying. “Should I walk you to your door? I don’t want Steph thinking I’m shirking on my duties.”

“If you walked me to the door, she’d get other ideas about what we were doing out so late. She’s already going to bug me mercilessly. I’ll probably have to pretend to be tired if I don’t want to be up all night getting interrogated by Officer Stephanie.”

“What about your brother? The dick.”

“Private investigator jokes. Very funny. Too bad he’s a cop.”

“Raining on my parade, Timbers.”

For a second, Tim paused to go over what Jason had just said in his head, then scrunched his eyebrows together in confusion. “Did you just call me Timbers?”

“Maybe. Is that a problem?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never been called Timbers before. I’m not sure how I feel about that one.”

“What about Timbo or Tim-Tam?”

“Are you going to keep coming up with nicknames that have Tim in them until I tell you it’s a nickname you can use?”

“I might. Sometimes things get a little slow during the day.”

“You could do something productive.”

“Like what?” Unexpectedly, Jason swung his leg over the motorcycle and pressed a hand against Tim’s lower back to get him moving toward the entrance to his apartment building. “Bills and shelving books? Coming up with silly nicknames sounds like a lot more fun.”

“I’ll have to think something up for you. It’s only fair you get a silly nickname, too.”

“I can’t wait to hear what you come up with and no having Blondie help you think up something. This assignment is all on your own. No partner.”

“Got it, Professor Jason.”

“When did you get so snarky?”

Instead of pushing the door open with his hand, Tim leaned his back against the door so he could face Jason, but didn’t open the door yet. “I’ve always been snarky. It’s a gift.”

“Well, I look forward to more of your snark in the future.”

“I’ll be sure to be as snarky as possible.”

“Are you positive I can handle you at your best? I’ve only gotten a little taste of what you can dish out.”

“If you can’t handle me at my snarkiest, you don’t deserve my snark at all.”

“How profound. I’ll do my best to not be overwhelmed by your snarkiest.”

“Good.” They lapsed into comfortable silence that Tim almost didn’t want to ever end, but he knew the night was drawing to a close. “Did you want to come up for a drink or something? It’s the least I could do. You did pay for dinner.”

“That’s probably not the best idea. I wouldn’t want Steph to keep you up all night.”

“Some other time?”

“Text me when you’re free again and we can have that drink.”

“I will. Have a safe ride home. Let me know when you get there?”

“If you insist.” Before Jason got back on his motorcycle, he suddenly turned to look at Tim with a snap of his fingers. “Don’t forget to look at that painting after I’m gone. I want to see it up when I come over for that drink.”

“How about I open mine when you open yours?”

“Are you making sure I have a reason to text you when I get back to my apartment?”

“Is it working?”

“Guess you’ll find out in about twenty minutes.”

“Guess I will.”

After waving goodbye, Jason pulled his helmet back over his head, then got on his motorcycle and kicked it to life. Tim watched Jason until him and the motorcycle completely disappeared from his sight. With a little sigh, Tim finally pushed his way into the lobby and went right to the elevator to get up to his floor. The moment the doors opened, he was greeted with the sight of Stephanie leaning against the open door to their apartment.

“Took you long enough. I thought I was going to have to come down there and pull the two of you apart.”

“Shut up!”

Stephanie leaned dramatically against the door with her hand pressed against her forehead and batted her eyelashes. “Oh, Jason. Thank you for the ride. I had a wonderful time tonight. Would you like to come upstairs? The night’s still young!”

“That is not what happened.”

“Really? You were leaning dramatically against the door, while Jason stayed an appropriate distance away from you. Then you asked him to come up and he politely declined like the gentlemen he is and the two of you agreed to meet again later for the drink you offered him. After that, he rode off into the night and you came up stairs looking like all your dreams had come true.”

“I do not.”

“So, you did ask him to come up for drinks?”

“I may have.” Keeping his face perfectly blank, Tim pushed passed Stephanie so she couldn’t see his face anymore. “He said no and we agreed to meet again for drinks later.”

“Did I call it or did I call it?”

“You must be very proud of yourself. How long did you have your head shoved out the window spying on us?”

“Long enough.”

“When is your next date with Cass?”

“We’re going out Tuesday. Do you want me to stay at her place so you and Jason can have the apartment to yourselves?”

Tim let out a groan and fought back the urge to slam his head against the nearest hard surface. “Do you have to say it that way?”

“What way?”

“All… suggestive.”

“You know I’ll stop if I’m genuinely upsetting you, right?”

“I know that.”

“If I’m not upsetting you, then what’s wrong?”

“I didn’t say anything was wrong.”

“You didn’t have to.” The sound of Stephanie’s footsteps on the tile floor was the only warning he got before her hand landed softly on his shoulder. “I’ve known you for years. Even with your back turned, I can tell when something’s not right. Did you not have fun today? I thought things were going really well when you told me you’d be going to dinner with him and his friends.”

“Things went great.”

“What is it then?”

“I had a lot of fun with Jason today. We got to talk and get to know each other. It was really nice and I didn’t want the night to end.”

“That’s really sweet. You should definitely invite him over. It’ll be a nice middle of the week stress reliever.”

Tim groaned loudly, then dropped into a kitchen chair, so he could drop his head against the table. “I should. Jason told me to let him know when I’m free again so we can, but I don’t know.”

“Why are you like this?”

“Like what?”

“You have fun with him and he has fun with you. You want to meet him again and he wants to meet you again. He tells you to let him know when you can meet again and you want to tell him, but you still don’t! What is stopping you? I know it’s hard for you to trust people. It took months for you to realize I meant it when I said I wanted to spend time with you and even longer to actually trust me. I know and I accept that, but you don’t have to trust him to spend time with him. How are you going to get to know him and trust him if you don’t spend time with him?”

“I know that! It’s stupid, but I can’t help it.”

“That’s not what I meant.” A loud scrapping filled the kitchen before Stephanie dropped into the chair next to him. “I’m just worried about you. I don’t want you to regret not taking chances.”

“Okay. After Jason tells me he got home safe, I’ll tell him I’m free to meet him Tuesday night and invite him to come over.”

“I’m proud of you.”

“Stop. You’re going to make me blush.”

* * *

 

_He looked curiously around the small park for something familiar. The trees were taller than any he remembered seeing in Gotham, birds were tweeting happily, and a large lake was right in front of him. The water was so crystal clear, the sun reflected brightly off the surface of it. His toes brushed against the soft grass with every step he took and felt like walking on air._

_When he reached the edge of the lake, he dipped his toes into the cool water and flexed his toes against the soft bottom of the lake. He took a seat with his feet still in the water and watched as gentle waves rippled across the water. The combination of cool water and warm sun against his skin was so peaceful he almost fell asleep sitting up._

_“Hey.” Someone sat down at his side, then placed their feet in the water the same way he had. “This is nice.”_

_“I think I’ve been here before.”_

_“I do, too.”_

_“Maybe we’ve had this dream before and we don’t remember it.”_

_“It’s possible. There’s a lot of dreams I don’t remember.”_

_“Same.”_

_They fell into silence as they enjoyed the dream world around them. The sun moved through the sky much faster than it would in the real world, but he liked the way time moved so fast. It felt more surreal and otherworldly, like he was on an alien planet in a sci-fi novel. Nothing from the waking world existed any longer. It was just the park and the two of them and the setting sun._

_“Do you think we’ll remember this one?”_

_“I don’t know. I hope so. This is nice.”_

_“We’re going to have to wake up eventually.”_

_“But not yet. We still have time.”_

_“I like these better than the nightmares.”_

_“I do, too.”_

_“We should have these more often.”_

_“Tell whoever’s responsible for these dreams.”_

_“Think they’ll listen?”_

_“Probably not.”_

* * *

 

The smell of coffee pulled him out of his daydream and back to the present where Kori stood in front of him with coffee under his nose. She raised a flawless eyebrow at him, then held the coffee a little lower so he could easily take it in his hand. Instead of chugging the whole thing like he would have last week, he took a short sip and placed it on the counter. A bright smile appeared on Kori’s face and she leaned over the counter to press a quick kiss to Jason’s forehead.

“Have you heard from Tim?”

“He made me text him when I got to my apartment last night.”

Laughter filled the shop as Kori tossed her head back and wrapped her arms around her stomach. “Made you? He made you text him? Someone’s got you wrapped around his little finger.”

“Make fun all you want, but I don’t care because I’ll be the one seeing him on Tuesday.”

“Really? What will the two of you be doing?”

“Drinks at his place.”

“Will his roommate be there?”

“Nope. She’s got a date with her girlfriend and she’ll be staying the night at her place. It’ll just be the two of us.”

“That sounds like things could get pretty intense.”

“Or we could have a nice night. We can talk in private and get to know each other and whatever.”

“And whatever?” With a roll of her eyes, Kori flicked her hair over her shoulder and gave Jason a look. “It’s nice to know you put a lot of thought into what you might do with Tim. I’m sure he appreciates how much time and effort you put into planning your time together.”

“You’re right. I should bring a board game or something. Think Tim likes Trivial Pursuit? I think that’s the only one I have right now.”

“That’s not what I meant, but I’m pretty sure he does like Trivial Pursuit and he would enjoy playing it with you.”

“I’m not bringing Trivial Pursuit with me.”

“I’m not tell you to, but you should put a little more thought into what the two of you can do on Tuesday. You’ve talked with him enough. What are some of his interests?”

Jason took a deep breath, then blew it all right back out as he ran his hand through his messy hair. “Books? We’ve talked a lot about those. He likes art and music. He’s more of a Star Trek guy than a Star Wars guy, but we promised never to get into a debate over which is better.”

“So, he’s a gigantic nerd like you?”

“There’s nothing nerdy about liking sci-fi!”

“It’s not just the sci-fi and everything about liking sci-fi is nerdy and there’s nothing wrong with that. Nerdy is the new cool, that’s why all those hipster wear alien shirts.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“You don’t want to. Back to your date with Tim, why don’t you bring your Star Wars collection for the two of you to marathon?”

“First of all, there are too many movies to marathon in one night. Secondly, it’s not a date. We’re just hanging out. Stop calling it that.”

“Fine.” Kori drummed her fingers against the counter at a speed that made Jason question whether she was human. “What are the two of you going to do for dinner?”

“No idea. I’m going straight to his place after work, so I’d guess takeout. Tim doesn’t cook. He’s tried in the past, but it always ends up burnt or raw.”

“You’re bringing food.”

“Why are you so obsessed with making sure he eats? Tim’s an adult and can take care of himself. He’s been doing it for years.”

“He’s the size of a toothpick and has way too much stress for someone so young.”

“He’s not that much younger than you.”

“And he’ll get grey hairs way before I do at the pace he’s going. Tell him you’re bringing dinner and dessert with you on Tuesday and Star Wars.”

Knowing it was useless to argue, Jason took his phone out and sent the message. “Happy? What exactly am I bringing over on Tuesday?”

“I’ve got some new recipes I want to try. You can bring them and get Tim’s feedback on them. I want his honest opinion. Your boy’s a sweetheart and I adore that, but force him to be as critical as possible. I don’t want polite. Tell him to put on his CEO hat or whatever he puts on when he’s being completely honest.”

“Whatever you say. Anything else you wanted to bug me about while you’re at it? Tell me to buy new clothes, criticize my cleaning, demand I reorganize my layout to make it flow better?”

“There is one thing I’m curious about. Where’s that painting from? I’ve never seen it before.”

A smiled immediately appeared on Jason’s face at the thought of the new painting he put up first thing this morning. After letting Tim know he was home, he had carefully removed the wrapping protecting the painting and had his breath taken away by what Tim picked for him. It was an amazing piece that used pages from books to create the scene of two people standing on a hill. They were too far away to tell what they were doing, but Jason liked to think they were looking up at the sky and the worlds above their heads. When he mentioned that to Tim, the other man told him it reminded him of the way books made him feel. Like he was above the real world with infinite possibilities just waiting for him in the clouds.

“Tim found this stall yesterday and couldn’t decide what painting to buy, so I picked one for him and he picked one for me. I thought it fit better in the shop than in my apartment. Plus, it should be seen and the kids will like all the bright colors.”

Kori hummed thoughtfully. “He has good taste. What’d you pick for him?”

“It was this one of two people in the rain. They were dark silhouettes and one of them was running toward the other with an umbrella. It looked a lot better than I’m describing it. I thought Tim would like it, especially the fact the only bright color was the red of the umbrella. It seemed like his kind of thing.”

“I’m sure he loved it.”

“He said he did, but he could be lying.”

“Even if he didn’t love it, I’m sure he knew you put a lot of thought into it and will have it up before you get to his place on Tuesday.”

“Guess I’ll find out then.” The door to the shop flew open and a group of laughing teens waved at Jason as they walked into the shop. “It’s time for me to get back to work and I’m sure you need to make sure Roy isn’t destroying everything. If you leave him alone for too long, he might decide to come up with a new toy out of whatever spare parts he has hidden.”

“I cleared out his latest stash this morning. Why do you think I was able to stay over here so long?”

“Sorry for doubting you.”

“You should know better by now.”

“I should. When can I expect you to come barging into my apartment to fill my fridge up with food?”

“Tomorrow night and don’t act like it’s a hardship for you. You love my cooking.”

“One of the best things on this planet.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! The next chapter will be up Wednesday of next week. All kudos and comments are greatly appreciated. You can find me on Tumblr ([SociallyAwkwardFoxWriter](http://sociallyawkwardfoxwriter.tumblr.com/)) and ask questions, stay up-to-date on what I'm working on, or anything else Tumblr related. Until next week!


	9. Chapter 9

_His hands pressed against his bleeding leg to stem the flow trickling down his thigh into a puddle on the ground. The shaking made it difficult for him to keep his hands in one spot, but he did his best to stay calm and not think about the intense pain. A tightness in his chest was beginning to make it difficult for him to breath and his vision swam nauseatingly. Something rose from his throat, then forced its way out of his mouth and onto the floor in front of him. It mixed with the blood, causing his head to spin at the disgusting sight._

_With the little determination he had left, he dragged his limp body with one arm across the tile floor and pressed his back against the wall. Every muscle in his body felt like it was on fire and his head was pounding so fiercely he couldn’t think straight. The room looked so hazy he couldn’t tell where the bed or bathroom or anything else useful in the room was. He considered calling out for someone to help him, but he couldn’t remember if anyone was around to hear him scream. He couldn’t even remember how he ended up with his leg bleeding on the floor._

_Several strange noises broke through the fog, not that he could understand what any of the noises meant for him. Someone gripped his arm gently, causing him to jump in surprise and let out a pathetic whine as pain shot through every inch of him. Hands ran slowly through his hair in a repetitive, smooth motion that helped him relax a little after the unexpected touch. Once he rested pliant in their arms, they moved him to lean against their chest, then carefully removed his hand from his leg. He felt them inhale sharply, but they didn’t start yelling at him like he had expected them to._

_Suddenly, another set of hands gripped his hands in a comforting hold and made long strokes against the back of his hands. They gave his fingers a little squeeze, then he heard familiar voices filling the air around him. He pressed further back into the chest and attempted to squeeze the hands holding his like they had done to his hands. Despite the chaos in his head, he forced himself to hone in on the voices and gradually lock onto the words they spoke._

_“-an ambulance is on the way.”_

_“How did this even happen? I thought the doctor said the stitches were nearly healed? They shouldn’t be this open.”_

_“I’ll have to do a little digging into that doctor of his. Whenever I ask him about him, he’s evasive and says he doesn’t want to talk about him.”_

_“You think his doctor isn’t treating him correctly?”_

_“I think I’ll be taking Tim to my doctor for this and his aunt can yell at me when she gets back from the vacation she couldn’t reschedule.”_

_“She’s awful to him. Why can’t he stay with us? He’ll be happier here. Even Damian thinks the woman’s pure evil and he pretends to hate Tim’s guts all the time and not care about him.”_

_“There’s nothing we can do about that now. If he needs somewhere to stay or people to talk to we’ll be here for him, but his aunt has taken guardianship of him. That decision is out of our hands.”_

_“It’s not fair.”_

_“No, but things in life rarely are. We’ll watch over him and make sure he has people there that support him.”_

_“Okay. I just don’t like seeing my baby brother hurting like this. It’s not right. He should be smiling and laughing and spending time with his friends.”_

_“He’ll get there. He’s strong.”_

_“I know.”_

* * *

 

Jason parked his motorcycle between two cars that were probably worth more than his shop, then turned off the engine. The small parking garage was much fancier than any he’d seen before and he didn’t even want to think about what the inside of the building looked like. From the outside, it’d been more than a little intimidating and that feeling wasn’t going away any time soon. Tim hadn’t exactly made it a secret that he was rich, but hearing it and seeing it were two very different things.

After taking a calming breath, Jason pushed himself off his motorcycle and headed over to the garage elevator. A stony-faced woman greeted him with a withering look and began to eye him suspiciously as he got closer to her. When he came to a halt in front of her, he cleared his throat uncomfortably and shifted awkwardly from one foot to another. She glared a little harder at him, but finally broke the stiff silence between them.

“Can I help you?”

“I’m here to see Tim. Or Timothy Drake. Whatever name you need.”

The woman crossed her arms formidably over her chest and stood a little straighter, so she was a little nearer to Jason’s height. “Let me see your ID.”

“Here.”

As the woman looked closely at his ID, he took the chance to look a little closer look at her and the sign on the wall behind her. She was incredibly tall for a woman and could undoubtedly kick his ass if they got into a fist fight. Her muscular physique and rigid posture made Jason think she had to have some sort of military background. Going by the sign behind her, it was her job to protect the building and keep anyone not living here or invited out.

“Everything checks out. Mr. Drake told us to expect a Jason Todd visiting him tonight. There’s one more thing I need from you before you can go up.”

“What do you need?”

“We all really like Mr. Drake. He’s a nice, young guy that’s had it rough and he always treats everyone right. That’s something a lot of others that grew up with money don’t do. We all have a soft spot for him, so don’t hurt him. We won’t be very happy if that happens and we’re the protective types. I’m sure you know what I mean.”

“We’re not…” Jason struggled to get the next words out of his mouth because the woman was looking at him with a glare so fierce he didn’t want to argue. “Yes, ma’am. Can I go up now? Tim might get concerned if I don’t show up on time.”

“Go right ahead and don’t forget what I said.”

“I won’t, ma’am.”

“Good. Take the elevator up to the top floor. Mr. Drake is in the only one on that floor.”

“Thank you, ma’am.”

“Go on. You shouldn’t keep him waiting.”

Without another word, Jason hopped onto the elevator and nearly broke his finger pushing the button for the top floor. The last thing he expected to get when he showed up was a shovel talk from a woman that could break him with her pinky. He expected glares and people to turn their nose up at him for his ratty jeans and worn leather jacket. Honestly, he would have preferred the snootiness to the woman’s threats.

When the elevator doors slid open, he stumbled out into the short hallway between the elevator and the only door on the floor. Everything was sleek and minimalistic and the door looked so sturdy it would be difficult to open one handed. If the woman in the parking garage wasn’t so terrifying, he might have considered texting Tim to tell him something came up. Instead, he knocked firmly on the door and nervously waited for Tim to open the door.

“One second” The door muffled Tim’s voice enough that Jason might have missed it if he wasn’t so on edge. “Sorry. I just got back from work.”

Tim’s black hair was dripping water onto the large shirt swamping his small body and his cheeks looked a little flushed-most likely from the warm water of the shower he just took. He motioned Jason through the door, then locked it behind him and turned to look at Jason again. They both stood there for several seconds exchanging equally uncertain expressions with one another. It was Tim that broke the silence with a nervous laugh as he stepped further into his fancy apartment.

“I’m guessing you met Cassie?”

“The lovely woman that guards the elevator in the parking garage? I might have. Why do you ask?”

“You’ve got the look.” As he spoke, Tim poured some sort of amber liquid into two glasses and held one out to Jason when he finished. “She has this tendency to come on a little strong when people first meet her. A lot of people get a little put off and frazzled by her.”

“I think the word you’re looking for is scared.”

“She’s not scary.”

“Maybe not to you.”

“Why did she say that was so frightening?”

“I’m pretty sure I’m not supposed to tell you that.”

Tim rolled his eyes and took a sip of his drink. “Fine. Keep your secrets. I’ve got all night to get them out of you.”

“Are you implying you’re going to get me drunk to get information out of me?”

“Guess you’ll find out.”

* * *

 

For the third time in the span of a few hours, Tim threw back the last of his drink and set the now empty glass on the coffee table. Jason was still nursing his second drink between his hands and hadn’t taken his eyes off Tim in what felt like hours. Most of what they’d talk about hadn’t been anything important, but something had shifted the mood and now Tim wasn’t sure what to say next. The silence was gradually becoming too much to bear and he suddenly found himself sitting at a mostly empty dining room with his parents again.

“Say something.”

“What do you want me say?”

“Anything. I hate the silence.”

“Why?”

The genuine curiosity in Jason’s voice was the only thing that kept Tim from shutting down immediately after he asked. “Do you really want to know?”

“I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t.”

“Were you sad when your mother died? Even though she was horrible to you, did you feel upset that she died?”

“Not really, no.”

“I didn’t feel upset when my parents died either. People said it was shock because of all the trauma, but years later I still don’t feel anything. I don’t miss them or wish they were here. Those were things I stopped doing when I turned seven and realized their business meant more to them than I did. They weren’t there for me. They didn’t go to parent-teacher conferences or my little league games or read me bedtime stories. There was nothing to miss. They were strangers to me.”

“You were lonely a lot.”

“There were nannies and housekeepers and tutors and cooks, but it’s not the same.” With a heavy sigh, Tim pulled the blanket off the back of the couch and wrapped it protectively around him. “I wanted what other kids had. I wanted parents that tucked me in and kissed my scraps and spent time with me. I wanted them to be the type of parents that loved their child.”

“When I was at school, I used to watch the other parents pick up their kids and pretend it was me in their place. I’d pretend I was the one getting hugged and asked if I had a good day. I always thought it was pretty pathetic, but it was the only way I knew how to get what I wanted.”

“It’s not pathetic to want to be loved. I think most people want to be loved.”

“Too bad life tends to have other ideas.”

“Sometimes, but things get better. You have Roy and Kori and Lian and Jade and all those kids that adore you.”

“What about you? What did life give you after dealing you a shitty first hand?”

After humming thoughtfully, Tim scooted a little closer to Jason on the couch and rested his head against the back cushion for support. “First there was Bruce and Dick, then Damian ended up being a pretty good brother and Cass joined our little family. Next, came Steph and Kon and Bart. Now, there’s you, but I guess you were really the first. The one that’s been there since the beginning.”

“It’s not like I was any help. Weird dreams, then nightmares.”

“You did help. More than you realize. Knowing there was someone out there I was connected to meant I wasn’t alone in this enormous world. It was comforting to think about when I felt all alone. It didn’t matter that I didn’t know your face or your name. You were out there somewhere and that thought was enough.”

“Good to know I wasn’t utterly useless to you.”

“You could never be. You’re an amazing person, Jason. Anyone that’s ever told you differently is lying.”

“You’re drunk.”

“No, I’m not.” Tim pressed a little closer to Jason’s side and let out a content sigh when he wrapped the arm Jason had draped across the back of the couch around him. “I’m lonely and tired and a little sleepy, but I’m not drunk and I’m not lying to make you feel better. Also, you’re incredibly warm. Has anyone ever told you that?”

“Lian complains about it.”

“It’s nice. Sorry if I fall asleep on you. It’s been a really long day.”

“Before you fall asleep, can I ask you a question?”

“Anything.”

“What happened that night? I know it was a car accident, but what happened?”

“I don’t remember that night. There are bits and pieces I remember and I don’t know if the nightmares I have are memories of the night or something I came up with, but I don’t remember the whole thing. The doctors said it was because of the head trauma, but I don’t know. Maybe I blocked it all out. When I talked to the police about it, they didn’t help much. They didn’t find anything or have any explanation for me. Not that they told me much. I heard most of what they had to say from Bruce.”

“You never asked? Later, I mean.”

The warmth radiating off Jason had Tim struggling to keep his eyes open, but he did his best to answer without slurring his words. “No. I never cared enough. I had other things on my mind. Physical therapy and depression and anxiety. That kind of thing.”

“Right.”

Silence fell between the two of them, allowing Tim to enjoy the comfort of another person without having to worry about talking. After a rough day at work, he normally came home and spent most of the night pressed up against Stephanie’s side. She always joked he got cuddly whenever he got overworked and whoever he ended up with needed to be a good cuddle buddy. As much as he loved to disagree with her, he knew he had a tendency to get a little too touchy feely when he reached his limit.

“It’s late. I should get going.”

“Please, stay?”

“I’ve got to open the shop in the morning.”

“Please? My alarm goes off at five-thirty.”

“Tim…” Despite the fact he knew Jason meant to sound exasperated, all he could hear was fondness in his tone. “You’re a bad influence.”

“Just this once. Promise.”

“Don’t promise anything when you’re this exhausted. You’re way too tired to mean it.”

“I’ll just sleep.”

“That sounds like a good idea.”

“Night, Jay.”

“Night, Timbers. Sweet dreams.”

* * *

 

The sound of a shrill alarm clock going off rudely pulled Jason out of the fantastic sleep he’d been having mere seconds earlier. He let out a displeased groan and attempted to reach his right arm out to hit the snooze button on the alarm clock. To his groggy surprise, something heavy had his arm pinned down so he couldn’t move it at all and he was suddenly aware of how numb the lower half of his arm felt. With no hope of shutting it off, Jason pried his eyes opened and looked for the reason he couldn’t shut the damn thing off and go right back to sleep.

Tousled black hair greeted his blurry vison and reminded him of why he didn’t fall asleep in his own bed for the second time in two weeks. This time, his neck wasn’t stiff from sleeping upright all night and Tim was pressed against his side instead of curled up in the corner of a couch. When he attempted to put Tim to bed the previous night, the younger man had wrapped his arms around Jason like unmovable tentacles and pulled him down to the mattress with him. For a second, Jason panicked over what to do, but Tim had huffed in aggravation at his stiff body and kicked him into submission. It was so unexpected, Jason gave into Tim’s demands and let Tim use him as a real-life body pillow.

“Shut it off.” Tim’s voice sounded grumpy and thick with sleep. “It’s annoying.”

“Can’t. You’re on my arm and you’re closer.”

“Excuses.”

“Facts.”

“Too early for facts. Just turn it off.”

“Let me up. I’ll turn it off on my way out.”

A pitiful whine erupted from Tim’s throat and he rolled so he was completely covering Jason’s body with his much smaller one. “No! You’re so warm. Don’t go.”

“I need to get back to my apartment to shower and eat before I open up the store for the day. If I don’t leave now, I won’t have time.”

“Excuses.”

“Facts.”

To Jason’s amusement, Tim grumbled angrily under his breath as he rolled off Jason and cocooned himself in all the blankets. His grumbling continued the entire time Jason pattered around the room and bathroom, but stopped abruptly when Jason reached the door. When Jason turned to see why, he was met with a sleepy but much more awake Tim poking his head out from his mass of blankets to watch Jason. Even though he knew he should leave, Jason returned to the bed and took a seat on the edge near Tim.

“Should you get up?”

“I don’t have to. I have another alarm for that.”

“Need me to do anything before I leave?”

Tim’s eyebrows wrinkled together and his lips pursed in what was probably supposed to be confusion, but looked more like an adorable pout to Jason. “You’re a guest. You shouldn’t do anything, especially after I forced you to stay last night.”

“You didn’t force me. I could have left at any time and I know you would have let me. I stayed because you asked me to and we’re…”

“What? What are we? Friends? Acquaintances? Dream buddies?”

“Dream buddies sounds really nice, but I’m not sure what that really means.”

“Neither do I. I don’t understand what any of this means. It’s annoying.”

“A little.” Despite the fact he knew he shouldn’t, Jason ran a hand through Tim’s messy hair like he did to niece when he tucked her in for the night. “Go back to sleep. We can worry about all that later.”

“I should walk you out. You’re a guest.”

“I’m pretty sure I can find my way out. Your apartment isn’t that big. There’s no chance of me getting lost on my way to the door. It’s pretty straightforward.”

“It’s rude not to.”

“Get out of that bed and we’re going to have problems. I’m the only one that has to be up this early. You go back to sleep and wake up when you have to.”

“You’re mean in the morning.”

After making sure Tim saw him roll his eyes, Jason stood from the bed and headed over to the bedroom door. He knew Tim’s eyes were on him the entire time, but he refused to turn around and meet them because that would mean debating whether he was making the right choice. The thought of curling back up with Tim was much more inviting than returning to his empty apartment to get ready for the day. It’d been a long time since he’d woken up curled around another person and it was a much better feeling than he remembered it being.

Part of him knew it was possible it was better because of who he’d been curled around, but that wasn’t a thought he had time to entertain. Sure, the two of them had a lot in common and Jason enjoyed the time they spent together, that didn’t mean there was something more than friendship between the two of them. Even if it did, the two of them were too busy to think about turning what they had into something more. Jason had the shop to worry about and Tim… Tim had a merger to see through and a family and friends and didn’t have time to fit people like Jason into his everyday life.

In all honesty, Jason didn’t belong in the same world that Tim lived in. As much as Kori might believe they lived in the same world, the reality was much harsher than that and Jason wasn’t blind to it. Tim lived in a world filled with people richer and smarter and more confident than Jason could ever dream of being. The thought caused Jason’s heart to clench painfully in his chest and served as a constant reminder that Jason didn’t quite fit with Tim. Whatever was connecting them, didn’t extend to their personal life. That, Jason was certain of.

* * *

 

His palms were so sweaty, he could barely pick up his glass of water without it almost slipping out of his hand. All of the men at the table were watching his every move closely and he wanted nothing more than to come up with an excuse to leave the room. Every instinct in his body told him to because he was outnumbered and alone, but that wasn’t an option. He could show no weakness to these men that would gladly rip him apart the instant they caught a whiff of weakness.

So, he remained in his chair at the head of the table and waited patiently with the others for Bruce and Lucius to arrive. He attempted to act as nonchalantly as possible-reading over the other documents for the meeting, casually checking his watch, and remaining as still as possible in his chair. If the others weren’t buying it, none of them were brave enough to say anything aloud by way of a snide comment or rude remark. It was entirely possible the impending arrival of Bruce was causing them all to hold their tongue.

Even though most of them despised Bruce, it was obvious to Tim that every single one of them feared the power he held. Wayne Enterprises was much larger than Drake Industries could ever dream of becoming and that meant more to the men in this room than most things did. They all craved money and power and none of them came close to having the amount that Bruce Wayne had. That fact made Bruce someone they couldn’t stand, yet feared too much to say anything directly to his face.

“Shouldn’t they be here by now?” The harsh words were spit out by an annoyed Bensen. “It’s nearly time for that presentation.”

“They’ll be here soon. As I’m sure you’re aware, Mr. Wayne is an incredibly busy man and it isn’t unheard of for him to personally deal with emergencies that pop up. I’m sure you understand.”

“Naturally.”

Bensen glared angrily at Tim, then turned his glare to the conference room door at the sound of it opening. Relief washed through Tim at the sight of Bruce and Lucius walking coolly into the room like they owned the place. They both acknowledge the other men in the room, then turned their attention to Tim and moved to greet him. Before he could stand up, they were at his chair and shaking his hand like they hadn’t known him since he was in diapers.

“Wonderful to see you again, Mr. Drake.” Lucius’s calming voice soothed the last of Tim’s nerves and had him fighting back a smile. “Shall we get started? I’m sure no one will mind getting started a little early. It’ll just get us out of here soon.”

“It’s good to see you, Mr. Fox. That sounds like an excellent idea. The presentation is already up and they all have the proposal we put together. We can get started right away.”

“Excellent. Mr. Wayne and I shall say our piece since you’ve already given yours. Feel free to jump in if we forget something. I know how much time you’ve put into this. You know it much better than I.”

“We’re all ears, Mr. Fox.”

To Tim’s amusement, Lucius took his time getting to the front of the room and motioned for Bruce to stand by his side. Before he began to speak, he perched a pair of reading glasses on his nose and pulled out a stack of notecards from his jacket pocket. He adjusted his glasses to a more comfortable position, then began speaking in a calm and clear voice. Even though most of the men in the room didn’t care about what he had to say, all of them were listening to every word that came out of his mouth.

It was one of the things that Tim always envied about Lucius when he would get to tag along with Bruce to Wayne Enterprises meetings. He spoke so invitingly it was almost impossible to ignore him and he was deceptively persuasive when he wanted to be. On several different occasions, Tim had seen someone adamantly against something change their mind after Lucius spoke to them. At one point, Tim asked Lucius to teach him some of the tricks he used to speak to people, but Lucius had simply smiled at him and went back to work.

All these years later, Tim still found it fascinating and found himself enjoying getting to sit back and watch Lucius speak. It didn’t make any of his doubts about getting the board to agree disappear, but it made him feel better about their chances. Having Lucius and Bruce by his side gave Tim more hope than he had when he first brought the idea to the board. Their proposal was sound and the few members on the board that weren’t loyal to the old ways would be easily swayed to their side. It was a start and it blossomed a little hope in Tim.

“Does anyone have any questions?”

One of the only board members that didn’t ridicule or belittle Tim for being young and struggling with his injuries after the accident, shakily raised his hand and cleared his throat after Lucius nodded at him. “You mentioned other young business people are working with you to help make this merger possible. Could you give us a few names?”

“Of course. We’ve gotten input and suggestions on future projects to pursue from a couple of promising young business people and scientist. You might have heard of a few. Rachel Roth, Jaime Reyes, Bart Allen, and Tamera Fox.”

“Your daughter?”

“She’s been interning with Wayne Enterprises since she was sixteen. I’m quite proud to say, she knows the business better than I do at this point. She brought several potential projects to our attention.”

“I’ve had the pleasure of meeting her. She’s a remarkable young woman, much like Mr. Drake. I have no doubt the two would make an unstoppable force.”

“I agree.” To hide the little wink he sent Tim, Lucius plucked his glasses off and pretended to clean the lenses. “Any other questions for me, Mr. Wayne, or Mr. Drake? We want to make sure you have all the information you need to make an informed decision.”

* * *

 

_Something gnawed angrily at his gut. From the inside, it bit and clawed and tore at any part of him it could reach. Like a fierce beast, it struck without mercy and had him quivering in submission to its power. He couldn’t see an end to it, but there was nothing he could do about the gnawing pain inside him. It felt helpless and pointless and he wished it would just end so the pain would finally go away._

_Instead, he forced himself to keep moving forward. To keep pushing one leg in front of the other as he stumbled down familiar streets he couldn’t remember the names of. All he had left was the desire to make it there. Where there was and however long it would take to get there didn’t matter. What mattered was he would be safe there. There would be people to help him and make the pain go away._

_He couldn’t think of their names, but he could see their faces like they stood in front of him. He could see their red hair and green eyes and kind smiles. He could see the girl’s tan skin and the thick layers of grease always coating the boy’s fingers. He could hear their voices encouraging him to take another step, then another and another. He could feel their comforting hands resting on his shoulders as they urged him to keep going._

_To his immense relief, a faded red door appeared in front of his eyes like it had been summoned by magic. He placed his hand on the old-fashioned handle, then used the little strength he had left to open the door. On his way through the doorway, he lost his balance and ended up a useless heap on the entryway floor. The sound of heavy footsteps hitting the floor sent relief running through him and he blinked up to see the girl standing over him._

_“Jason? Jason? Can you hear me?”_

_“Hurts.”_

_A hand ran comfortingly through his hair, then the girl moved to help lift him back onto his feet. “You’ve been gone for weeks. We weren’t sure if you were coming back. Let’s get you to bed.”_

_“Sorry.”_

_“Don’t be. You needed space and we weren’t giving it to you. Just try not to do that again or drop by to let us know how you’re doing.”_

_“No next time. Hurts.”_

_“I know it does, but we’ll take care of it. I made that pasta you like. Think you can eat some of that?”_

_“Don’t know.” A sharp stab of pain hit his stomach at the thought and he would have keeled over if it weren’t for the girl’s strong arms around him. “Hurts.”_

_“I bet we have some canned soup around here somewhere. That’ll be nice and easy. I’ll have it ready in two seconds. We just have to get you to bed first.”_

_“Sorry.”_

_“Jay, you don’t need to be sorry. This is what family’s for.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! The next chapter will be up Wednesday of next week. All kudos and comments are greatly appreciated. You can find me on Tumblr ([SociallyAwkwardFoxWriter](http://sociallyawkwardfoxwriter.tumblr.com/)) and ask questions, stay up-to-date on what I'm working on, or anything else Tumblr related. Until next week!


	10. Chapter 10

The delicious smell of chocolate and strawberry pancakes had Jason practically foaming at the mouth as he watched Kori at the stove. Of course, he should have known better than to let the smell of food distract him and leave him open to attack. The fact she was cooking his favorite pancakes should have been a big enough tip off that she was trying to open him up. Naturally, he fell right into her trap and had his mouth full of delicious pancake when she started talking.

“I’ve had this thought in my head all week and I can’t seem to get it out. It’s been nagging at me.” The look Kori gave him-one full of determination-had Jason fighting to swallow down his food as quickly as possible. “Do you want to know what’s been on my mind?”

“The steadily increasing price of flour and milk?”

“No. I’ve been thinking it’s time we had another chat about opening up to people and allowing ourselves to be happy.”

“Is that why you kicked Roy out of the apartment.”

Kori rolled her eyes as she moved her chair closer to Jason’s and took one of his hands in her own. “I know I’m not as good as Roy at this type of thing. It’s all that fatherly instinct or whatever you want to call it. That’s not going to stop me from doing it though. You’re important to me, Jason. We’re not like Roy. We grew up alone and we were lucky enough to find each other and build this little family of ours. Roy doesn’t get that, but I do. I know how hard it is to open yourself up to people and accept that they’re going to stay.”

“Where are you going with this?”

“Where do you think? Tim. Do you know what I see on your face when you talk about him?”

“Can’t say I can.”

“I see the beginning of something you don’t want to acknowledge because it’ll mean confronting feelings and having emotions. Tim’s a wonderful guy. I’ve looked into him. Don’t give me that look. The things he’s done for the community are incredible and he’s so young. It reminds me a lot of you. He clearly cares so much about people and life hasn’t been easy on him either. I think the two of you belong together more than you realize or want to admit.”

“So what if I have feelings for him? It’s not going to make a difference and accepting that I have them would only make things harder.”

“Clearly, you already have because you just acknowledged them, but why do you think it wouldn’t matter?”

With a heavy sigh, Jason dropped his eyes to the table so he wouldn’t have to see the disappointed look in Kori’s eyes. “We don’t live in a fantasy world or a romance novel. People like Tim. People that are talented and smart and good-looking. Those kinds of people don’t end up with street rats. They end up with people like them and they live happily ever after.”

“But he is like you! You’re talented and smart and good-looking. Do you know how many time I’ve overheard people talking about you? People adore you because you’re an amazing guy and the only one that can’t see it is you. I understand way, I do, but I can’t let you keep putting yourself down like this. The two of you could do amazing things for Gotham and the rest of the world if you put your minds to it.”

“Tim’s already doing that. He doesn’t need my help.”

“Of course he does! Everyone needs help, especially when it feels like they have the weight of the world on their shoulders. Tim’s sweet and kind and thoughtful, but he never thinks of himself and his needs. Remind you of someone else?”

“I don’t want to get my hopes up.”

“How can you when you have no hope to begin with? You assume he won’t be interested, but maybe you should let him decide for himself. I’m not saying you need to tell him right away. I just want you to acknowledge your feelings out loud and figure out what your next step is going to be. Maybe I’m being pushy and meddling, but I want you to have the best chance at happiness you can get and I think Tim is a big part of that. Whatever relationship you can have with him.”

Jason pressed his palms firmly against his eyes as he took several long, calming breaths to get his racing mind under control. Every word Kori spoke felt like it had pierced right through his fragile armor and hit him in all the soft spots. He felt open and vulnerable for the first time in years, but he couldn’t blame Kori for that. For years, he put off facing all those parts of himself he didn’t like to think about and pretended didn’t exist. Meeting Tim had changed things in more ways than one and having to face himself was part of that.

“Why wouldn’t I be interested in him? He’s a great guy and he’s easy to talk to. I have fun when I spend time with him and the world kind of melts away. It feels like it’s only us. Getting to be with him as more than a friend would be amazing. I just don’t see that happening.”

“You’ll never know if you don’t try.”

The hand holding his squeezed in comfort that he took gladly. “What if I try and things change? I like what we have now. The way we are around each other is nice. If that changes, I don’t even want to think about how things will be different.”

“Then don’t force it. Let things progress naturally. You don’t have to tell him your feelings, but you don’t have to completely hide them either. Find a middle and work forward. If he encourages you and reciprocates, then you keep moving things forward and if he doesn’t, you back off. Relationships are about balance. Find yours and things will settle into what they’re supposed to be.”

“Thanks.”

“Can I say something else before we get back to eating pancakes?”

“Sure.”

“Tim looks at you the same way you look at him. Just something to think about.”

* * *

 

_The gravel beneath his foot shifted and crunched each time he set it back down on the ground. The crutches felt unstable and slippery in his uncoordinated hands, but he continued his way across the drive anyways. With each step he took, he felt a little shakier and uncertain that he’d be able to make it to the front door. Even though he could see it, the distanced seemed almost impossible for him to cross._

_As his knee started to buckle, the large front doors flew open and a familiar person rushed over to meet him. Their arms wrapped around his waist and kept him from falling to the ground with no hope of getting back up. To make himself feel more stable, he gripped hold of their shoulders and held on as tightly as he could with his hands shaking so hard. He let out a shaky breath as he dropped his aching head down to rest on their chest._

_“What are you doing here? I thought we were going to pick you up tomorrow so you could spend the weekend. Did your aunt drop you off?”_

_“No.” His voice sounded wobbly and desperate to his own ears._

_“How did you get here?”_

_“I walked.”_

_“You walked all the way here? I thought your doctor said you could only be on those for ten minutes every couple of hours. How does your leg feel? Are you in pain?”_

_“It-it hurts. It hurts really bad.”_

_“Let’s get you inside so you can sit down.”_

_The arms around his waist shifted to his shoulders and his knees, then he was picked up into the air as easily as a doll. His crutches fell to the ground with a clatter, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care about what happened to them. All he wanted was to get out of the heat and lie down for a few hours. He wanted peace and quiet and not to have someone criticizing his every move._

_When his back rested against the soft cushions of a familiar couch, he rolled onto his side and pressed his face into a pillow. He could smell all the warm scents he associated with home and love and all the things he so rarely experienced. Despite the pain in his leg, he curled it up tighter into his body so he was in the smallest ball possible. To his frustration, gentle hands stretched his legs back out, then a warm body pressed along his back and kept them from curling back up._

_“I know it hurts, but it’ll get worse if you keep it tight like that. Just give it time, the pain will go away.” Nimble fingers massaged around the spots that ached, but didn’t touch the tender flesh. “I’m sure Al will be up in a minute with your pain meds and something to eat. You’re probably starving. It’s been a while since you’ve walked that far. See anything on you way here? I’ve seen some ducks around the Manor recently, but they always disappear before I can get to them.”_

_“Saw some birds.”_

_“What kind of birds? Were they blue? You know how much I love blue birds.”_

_“No, robins. They sang to me.”_

_“How sweet of them. Maybe they’ll follow you here next time.”_

_They fell into peaceful silence that had his eyes sliding closed for the first time in days. He nuzzled his head back against the chin resting against it and let out a content sigh. The person cuddled up against him chuckled hard enough to move his body as well. He grumbled unhappily under his breath and pinched the arm resting across his waist._

_“Do you want to talk about what made you decide to walk all the way over here on your own?”_

_“No.”_

_“Okay. We’ll talk about it later. Get some rest, little birdie. I bet you’re exhausted.”_

* * *

 

For the third time in the last hour, Tim unlocked his phone and pulled up Jason’s contact information to stare at the call button. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t convince himself to move his finger the few inches it would take to make the call. Ever since Stephanie left on her impromptu trip with Cassandra, all Tim could think about was calling Jason to invite him over for another round of drinks and maybe some video games. He’d been dying to play a two-player game that just came out, but Stephanie had been too busy to play and no one else would want to. He wasn’t even sure Jason would want to, but he wanted to see him and nothing could get the thought out of his head.

With a huff of frustration, Tim dropped his head against the back of the couch and let the hand holding his phone drop to his lap. An unexpected beep filled the air followed by the sound of ringing, almost like a he was making a phone call. When he looked down at his phone, he was shocked to see Jason’s name on the screen with the word dialling directly below it. As he went to end the call, the ringing abruptly stopped, then Jason’s voice came from the speaker.

“Hello? Tim? Are you there?”

After taking a deep breath to calm himself down, Tim pressed the phone to his ear and tried not to let his embarrassment fill his voice. “I’m here. Sorry. I didn’t mean to call. I accidently hit the button. I’ll let you get back to whatever you were doing.”

“I wasn’t doing anything. Kori and Roy are having a date night tonight and Jade and Lian are out of town on vacation. It’s just me.”

“Oh, would you like to come over? Steph left for the weekend, so I’ve been sitting here trying to figure out what to do.”

“Sounds like you’re pretty bored.”

“A little. There’s also this game I’ve been wanting to play, but it’s a two-player game and-”

“Are you talking about Green Lantern Corps?” The excitement in Jason’s voice had Tim sitting up a little straighter in excitement. “I’ve heard really great things about it, but… Anyways, I might be willing to come over and play it.”

“But?”

“Well, I haven’t had dinner yet. Maybe you can sweeten the pot a little?”

Tim found himself snorting out a laugh before he could stop himself. “Sorry. Uh, there’s a wing place that delivers. Is that enough to get you over here? And there fries are delicious, just in case that makes a difference.”

“I’m glad you mentioned the fries. I might have said no if you didn’t.”

“Does that mean yes?”

“I’ll be over in about thirty minutes.”

“Want me to order food now, so it’ll be here when you get here?”

“That’d be great. See you in a few.”

“See you, Jay.”

As soon as the call ended, Tim threw himself sideways on the couch and pressed his face into the couch cushions. The huge grin on his face made him feel childish and naïve, but he couldn’t stop the joy filling him. Something about Jason managed to make him feel different than he’d ever felt before and he couldn’t think of an explanation for it. Stephanie would say it was because he found his one true love, but Tim wasn’t so sure that’s what the feeling meant.

Sure, he was attracted to Jason and could see why Stephanie thought there could potentially be something more to their relationship, but there was something else. Something that connected them in a way that Tim didn’t understand and he had a feeling Jason didn’t understand it either. He wasn’t sure he’d ever understand what was connecting he two of them, but he didn’t want whatever it was to go away.

* * *

 

“Go, go, go!” The little bump Tim did with his elbow almost knocked the controller out of Jason’s hands, but he tightened his grip on it at the last second. “You can do it! On your left. Watch on your left!”

“You’re going to give me a heart attack if you keep doing that!”

“I’m sorry! I’m just really excited and want to beat this level! It’s been kicking our asses!”

“That doesn’t make things more stressful or anything like that!”

“Too bad! It’s all up to you and I know you can do it!”

With a heavy sigh of relief, Jason got a headshot on the last guy and turned to get a look at Tim’s face. Before he could even get a brief glimpse of it, he got smacked across the face with an arm as Tim launched himself at Jason. An excited laugh left him and he hugged Jason’s neck hard enough he could feel his windpipe being slowly crushed. Despite the fact Tim’s grip was boardline painful, Jason returned the hug a lot more delicately than Tim and relished the feeling of a warm body wrapped around his.

“Sorry. I probably should have asked first.”

“It’s fine.” To make his point perfectly clear, Jason tightened the hold he had around Tim’s body and leaned his forehead against the top of Tim’s head. “Nice really.”

“That’s good. I wouldn’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

“I’m not. This is nice and it’s not like we haven’t slept together before. This is nothing.”

“You do make a fairly good point. What’s a hug between two people that have already slept together?”

“That’s… That came out really weird, didn’t it?”

Warm breath ghosted across Jason’s neck as Tim laughed while still pressed against him. “It might have come out a little weird, but I knew exactly what you meant and it’s not like you said something that wasn’t true. I fell asleep on top of you the last time you were over.”

“Are you embarrassed?”

“What? Why would I be embarrassed?”

“You sounded embarrassed! Why would I know why you would be? All we did was sleep together. It’s no big deal.”

“Except you keep saying it like that!”

“So, you are embarrassed?”

“Shut up!” A firm pinch against Jason’s side had him flinching away from Tim, then glaring angrily down at the smaller man. “That’s what you get.”

“How old are you? Five?”

“I don’t think any five-year-old would say what I’m about to say. Fuck you, asshole!”

“What have I done to deserve that? I came over to keep you company and play video games with you and I beat the level. I think I’ve been a pretty good friend. I don’t think you should be calling me an asshole right now. If anything, you should be thanking me for coming over and being such a wonderful guest.”

“Wonderful? I think you’re getting ahead of yourself there.”

“Is that anyway to talk to your savoir, Jason Todd?”

Tim shoved away from Jason chest with a loud groan and grabbed the closest pillow to smack Jason on the arm with it. “You’re so ridiculous! Pick your controller back up. We’re going back to playing before your head gets any bigger. I don’t think this room could contain your ego if that happened.”

“I don’t know. Your apartment is pretty big. I think we could fit more than just my ego in here.”

“It’s not that big.”

“You’ve been to my apartment. Your apartment is enormous.”

“It’s a two-room apartment! Of course, it’s bigger than your apartment. Your apartment is made for one person!”

“Whatever you say, rich boy.”

“Rich boy? That’s the best you can do? I’m ashamed of you. I thought you were better than that.”

“Wow. I’ve never felt more humiliated in my entire life.” To Tim’s distress, Jason tipped sideways until he was leaning heavily against his side. “I don’t know if I can go on after a blow like that. My heart might be broken, my ego shattered! What is the point of life?”

“Shut up and get off me! You’re gigantic. I’m going to be crushed.”

“The better to eat you, my dear.”

A snort erupted out of Tim’s mouth and he pressed his hands over his face to cover up his laughter. “That’s disgusting!”

“Then why are you laughing?”

“I don’t know!”

* * *

 

With a content sigh, Tim pressed his face a little harder against Jason’s thigh and let out another when Jason began to card his fingers slowly through his hair. His eyes fell almost completely shut as he fought off the urge to fall asleep right there on the couch. The combination of Jason and warmth from the blanket wrapped around him and a long, hard week at work made it difficult to stay awake. Not even the sound of the action movie in the background was enough to keep his eyes open and focused on the screen to distract him from sleep.

At some point, he must have completely fallen asleep because between one moment and the next the movie ended and Jason was shifting beneath him. After letting out a little groan, Tim pushed himself up and blinked up at Jason to find Jason watching him closely. His blue-green eyes were so expressive Tim almost wanted to look away from what they were telling him. He wasn’t sure if Jason wanted him to know exactly what he was thinking, but the look was too addictive to turn away from.

Tim brought his hand up to rest lightly against Jason’s jaw and watched as Jason’s eyes slipped closed. He tilted his head a little further into Tim’s hands, then his eyes opened just enough for Tim to see the faintest hit of his irises. His skin felt warm and pleasant underneath Tim’s fingertips as he let them rub faint circles into Jason’s skin. The small scar behind Jason’s ear bumped against his middle finger, causing Jason to shudder at the sensation of Tim’s finger running over it.

Despite the fact he didn’t want to, Tim dropped his hand to Jason’s shoulder, then let it slip down his arm and into his own lap. For a few seconds, Jason kept his eyes mostly closed and stayed completely still. When he finally opened them, the intensity in his gaze nearly took Tim’s breath away and he shifted a little closer to Tim. The feelings it stirred up in Tim were enough to knock him out of whatever world they’d fallen into and back to the reality of the situation.

After clearing his throat, Tim stood from the couch and crossed his arms over his chest so he wouldn’t fall into his old habit of twisting his hands together nervously. “It’s pretty late. If you want to stay over, you can take my bed and I’ll sleep on the couch. I’ve got some extra toothbrushes and I still have your clothes I borrowed. Of course, you can go if you want to. I’m not trapping you here.”

“Tim.” Gentle hands settled on his shoulders and Jason stepped close enough for their bodies to press together. “Tim, look at me.”

“Sorry, I-”

“Don’t be sorry. It’s fine. Look at me. Please.”

“I’m not… I’m not sure that’s a good idea right now. It’s late.”

“Tim, please.”

The tone of Jason’s voice wasn’t pleading or desperate, but it had Tim lifting his head up to meet his gaze before he even realized what he was doing. A shuddering breath fell from his lips and he tried to remain calm as he let Jason look at him with those big, expressive eyes. The hands on his shoulders moved slowly down his arms, then gently removed his arms from around his chest. Before Tim could cross them again, Jason wrapped his arms around his waist and pulled him into a tight hug. Not knowing what else to do, Tim brought his hands up to grip the back of Jason’s shoulders and pressed himself closer to Jason.

“Why are you doing this?”

“Do you want me to stop?”

Tim shook his head and stood on the tips of his toes to rest his forehead against the side of Jason’s neck. “No. I really needed this tonight and Stephanie left and I didn’t think I could call you.”

“You can call me for whatever you need. I’ll always be willing to listen or talk or come over or whatever you need. Anything at all.”

“But why? I still don’t get any of this. I don’t get this feeling and I don’t get what you want and I don’t get who we’re supposed to be or how we’re supposed to change the world. I don’t get any of it! And I’m tired of waiting for answers. I’m tired of being patient and seeing where things go. I’m sick of not understanding what’s happening to me and not getting any answers to the million questions in my head!”

“Does it matter?”

“Does what matter?”

“Does it matter what we’re supposed to be or do?” Jason separated their bodies enough to lean his forehead against Tim’s. “Does it matter what fate decided for us? Sure, it brought us together and I’m so grateful for that because… Because this is one of the best things I’ve ever had in my life. It’s so easy and I love being around you. It’s comforting and everything else falls away and I know you’ll accept me because you know all the terrible things about me, but you haven’t gone running yet. You’re right here and you’re real.”

“Why wouldn’t I be real? You’ve known I was real for years. You know my life and all the horrible things about me.”

“But you’re better than me. So much better. You’re smarter, kinder, otherworldly. You’re so much more than me. I’ve always known that.”

“That’s not true. It’s not!”

“It is. I’m not saying I’m the scum of the earth, because I’ve seen the scum of the earth and it’s not me, but you’re so much more than me. You think it’s frustrating for you, but for me it’s so much worse. I’m nothing compared to you and I can’t ever imagine you needing me the way I know I’ll need you, but I’m going to be there. No matter what. So, fuck fate and her plans for us. Fuck what we’re supposed to be. Can we just be us? It’s great if it ends up being what fate wants us to be, but I don’t give a damn anymore. Let’s just be us.”

The passionate fire in Jason’s eyes caused something similar in Tim to stir and he was fairly sure he now had the same fire in his own if the wide smile that appeared on Jason’s face was any indication. “Fuck, fate. We be us and everything else can adjust to that. That still leaves one question we’ve never answered. What are we?”

“That’s up to you.”

“That’s not fair to you. We should decide together.”

“I already know what I want us to be, but that doesn’t mean you’ll want the same thing. You decide and I can deal with my shit on my own.”

“What does that mean? What do you want us to be?”

“It doesn’t matter. You decide what we are. You pick our fate. I’ll follow.”

“I don’t want to do that.” Tim took a step away from Jason and shook his head vigorously when Jason tried to reach out to him. “It’s the two of us in this together. The same way it’s always been and I’m not making this decision for us. I don’t care if you think your opinion on this doesn’t matter. It matters to me and I’m not making this decision on my own. It’s too much.”

“Trust me, it’s better if you decide on your own.”

“No! It’s not better. I was lonely for so long and so were you. How could you possibly say it’s better to decide things on your own? It’s not at all better to do and decide things on your own. It’s lonely and hard. I’m not picking for us. We’re doing it together. Now, what is it you want us to be?”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you that. I can’t risk what’ll happen if I do.”

Letting out an aggravated huff, Tim placed his hands angrily on his hips and took a step closer to Jason. “Do you think that little of me?”

“I think the world of you.”

“Then why would you think something bad would happen because of what you want? You’re not a bad person and I like to think I’m not a bad person either. I like to think we respect each other and what we have to say and think. Now, I’m just confused. You say one thing, then you go and say something else that makes me think you weren’t being honest before.”

“I wouldn’t lie to you.”

“Then what is going on here? What is it that you want us to be?”

“Tim, I don’t know how to say it.” Jason ran a hand through his hair, causing it to stick up and make him look even more frazzled. “I have always loved reading, but I’ve never been any good at words. So, fuck it.”

Before Tim could ask what Jason was talking about, a pair of lips smashed against his own and a strong arm hooked him around the waist. He felt his feet leave the ground, so he wrapped his legs tightly around Jason’s waist to give himself a solid anchor. Not know what else to do with his hands, Tim buried them in Jason’s hair, probably making his hair even messier than before. The lips pressed against his went from firm to soft and began to move tantalizingly slow. In response, Tim moved his in time and let his teeth graze along Jason’s bottom lip.

When they finally broke apart, Tim felt slightly breathless and lightheaded. He tipped his head back so he was looking at the ceiling and started laughing at the turn of events. His fingers dug into the meat of Jason’s back, possibly leaving bruises in their wake, but he needed something to hold onto. A strange noise pulled Tim’s eyes back to Jason’s face and he moved his hands from their strong hold on Jason’s back to gently cupping his jaw.

“Any particular reason you’re laughing? I didn’t think I was that bad at kissing.”

“You’re not. You’re not at all.” With another little laugh, Tim brushed the white patch of hair away from his face and pressed a quick kiss to his forehead. “You’re a very good kisser. I was just a little surprised.”

“I’m still a little confused what laughing has to do with that?”

“I don’t always have the most appropriate responses to things. I wasn’t laughing at you or your kissing skills. Promise.”

“That’s a win. I guess.”

“Whatever you want to call it, but you still haven’t answered my question.”

Jason hummed thoughtfully as he quirked his head to the side. “What question?”

“What do you want us to be?”

“I thought I just made that pretty clear.”

“A kiss is not an answer. In some countries, they kiss to say hello.”

“Well, I sincerely hope they don’t kiss the way we did. That’d be one hell of a hello.”

“It wasn’t that good.” An affronted look appeared on Jason’s face and Tim couldn’t help laughing at the expression. “I’m sorry. I was just joking. It was fine. Really. It was nice.”

“Fine, he says. Nice, he says. Wound my pride anymore and I won’t be able to go on.”

“Drama king. You know, you could always prove me wrong. After you tell me what you want our relationship to be.”

“All right. The best way I can think to say it is I want us to be in a romantic relationship.”

“Romantic relationship. That sounds pretty good to me, but I have to be honest with you. I’ve never really been in a romantic relationship before. I’ve had a few dates with people, but I’ve never actually been in a long-term relationship.”

“Can I ask why?”

“Sure. I’m not ashamed or anything. I’ve only met one person I wanted to have a serious relationship with, but they weren’t interested in me. Just dating someone for the sake of dating has never been something I wanted to do. I’m busy a lot and I don’t have the time to do that. I need someone that understands that and understands me and I know you do. I’m willing to try a romantic relationship if you are.”

Jason nodded his head in understanding, then gently lowered Tim down to the couch. “I haven’t either, but we’ll figure it out together. It can’t be too hard. We’ve got nosy friends that’ll give us advice and we can take it slow.”

“Good point and now I think it’s time for bed. I’ll-”

“You’re not taking the couch. We’ll share the bed. We’ve done it before, but this time don’t kick me.”

“I’ll try my best.”

* * *

 

_The light from the moon shone down on the water and reflected all the stars in the night sky. Not a single ripple marred the tranquil surface, not from the fish beneath the surface nor any wind that might cool the air. It was peaceful and unmoving and housed the universe in its simple reflection. It was everything and nothing and he wanted nothing more than to stay on the lakeside for the rest of eternity._

_“What are you doing out here? You’re going to freeze to death.”_

_“I’ll be fine. I’ve got you to keep me warm.”_

_“Me and this heavy blanket I brought with me.”_

_After wrapping around his body, the person pulled something warm and soft around their bodies. “So warm. I knew you wouldn’t leave me out in the cold. I have complete faith in you.”_

_“I would hope so. You did agree to marry me after all. What’s marriage without faith?”_

_“My parent’s marriage?”_

_“Very funny. What are you looking at?”_

_“The water. It’s nice. We should get a cabin out here. Make it a summer vacation home or something like that.”_

_“I can’t leave the shop for that long.”_

_“Yes, you can.” The grass slid easily between his toes as he stretched his legs out toward the water. “Let some of the kids run the shop for a little while. They can handle it. You just do the finances and order the books. They can handle the rest. You’ve trained them well. They’d probably be glad you wouldn’t be breathing down their necks for a few weeks.”_

_“There are words coming out of your mouth, but I’m not getting what you’re saying. It’s like a jumble of nonsense.”_

_“You’re such an asshole. I should have told them to get you that World’s Crankiest Boss mug like they wanted to.”_

_“I’m not an asshole! And even if I was, you’re the one that asked this asshole to marry you. You should have known what you were getting into.”_

_“I knew exactly what I was getting into when I asked, that doesn’t mean I can’t remind you. At least think about it. You can’t tell me it doesn’t sound appealing. Every summer, just the two of us. No friends to come busting down our door at two in the morning or emergency board meetings I have to attend. Just the two of us spending time together. You could read a few books and we could walk the trials.”_

_A hum shook his body as he moved with the chest of the person behind him. “You could do some photography. Maybe go swimming in the lake.”_

_“See? Doesn’t that sound nice?”_

_“Sounds like a dream.”_

_“Better than a nightmare.”_

_“Much better. I guess we could look into getting a nice, little cabin by the lake. Might be a good idea for when we have kids of our own.”_

_“Really now?”_

_“I’ve picked up on the hints you’ve been leaving and I think we’ll get there one day.”_

_“You think so?”_

_“After all the shit we’ve been through, having kids will be like a walk in the park. Plus, I’ll have you by my side. I know I’ve got nothing to fear when you’re right beside me.”_

_“I love you so much.”_

_“Love you, too.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! The next chapter will be up Wednesday of next week. All kudos and comments are greatly appreciated. You can find me on Tumblr ([SociallyAwkwardFoxWriter](http://sociallyawkwardfoxwriter.tumblr.com/)) and ask questions, stay up-to-date on what I'm working on, or anything else Tumblr related. Until next week!


End file.
